The Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros begin a three-game series at Minute Maid Park on Monday afternoon.
The Twins dropped two of three games over the weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays, including a 3-0 shutout defeat at Target Field in Sunday’s series finale.
The Astros posted a three-game road sweep against the lowly Oakland Athletics, outscoring the hapless A’s 21-6.
Can the Twins get back on track deep in the heart of Texas? Or will the Astros keep rolling at home on Memorial Day? We’ll discuss in our free MLB picks and predictions for Twins vs. Astros on Monday, May 29.
Twins vs Astros odds
Twins vs Astros predictions
They might sit atop the American League Central Division, but the Minnesota Twins are just 27-26 and in the midst of a 4-8 nosedive.
Minnesota has lost each of its past four series, dropping two of three games in each set, dating back to May 12-14. However, the Twins were able to pick up two victories over three games against the Astros in a series when both sides scored 13 runs apiece.
The Twins will hope Sonny Gray stays hot and keeps rolling. He's 4-0 with a 1.82 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 54 1/3 innings and 10 starts. While the Twins are 0-4 in his past four starts during May, Gray has allowed just eight runs in 19 1/3 innings.
Gray has also been outstanding at taking the air out of the ball, and he hasn’t served up a home run since Sept.19, 2022.
Meanwhile, the Houston Astros have picked up 14 victories in their past 17 games, posting five-plus runs in eight of the club's past 13 outings.
Houston counters with right-hander J.P. France, who's 1-1 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 21 innings in four starts. He bounced back following a beating from the Cubs on May 17, allowing one earned run and five hits with a career-best eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings during a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday. The Astros provided him with no run support.
I like the veteran Gray to pitch the Twins to a narrow road victory over the inexperienced France, although I also expect it to be a lower-scoring affair.
My best bet: Twins ML (+112 at BetRivers)
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Twins vs Astros moneyline analysis
The Twins have dropped six consecutive series openers while going 2-5 in their past seven games overall.
Additionally, Minnesota has been victorious in just four of the past 15 tries against American League West Division teams. The Twins have also gone 9-24 in their past 33 road games against teams with a winning record.
The Astros did drop two of three against the Twins during the first meeting in Minneapolis this past season. However, Houston is on a roll lately, going 9-3 in the squad's past 12 affairs against a right-handed starter.
Houston is also 7-2 in the past nine meetings against Minnesota, despite the 1-2 mark this season. The Astros' moneyline has cashed in four of the past five meetings at Minute Maid Park.
Twins vs Astros Over/Under analysis
The Under has connected in six of the Twins' past eight games. The team has also posted three or fewer runs in five of its past seven games.
Additionally, the Under has cashed in four of the Twins' past five contests against clubs with a winning record, while going 5-2 in the past seven games against a right-handed starter.
And the Under has hit during six of Gray's 10 outings in 2023. That includes his win on April 7 against the Astros at Target Field when he allowed just one run while recording a season-high 13 strikeouts in seven frames.
Meanwhile, the Under is 6-2 during the Astros' past eight games, and it's gone 16-5 in the previous 21 contests against a right-handed starting pitcher. The Under is 9-4-1 in the team's last 14 outings at Minute Maid Park, too.
Look for Gray and France to post plenty of zeroes during the series opener. Play the Under and the Twins for a nice parlay opportunity.
Twins vs Astros game info
| Location: | Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX |
| Date: | Monday, May 29, 2023 |
| First pitch: | 4:10 p.m. ET |
| TV: | MLB Network |
Starting pitchers
Sonny Gray (4-0, 1.82 ERA): The veteran right-hander shut down the Astros April 7, tying a season best with seven innings while striking out 13 batters. And he hasn’t allowed a homer in 54 1/3 innings across 10 starts. While Gray hasn’t produced a quality start in his past four outings, he's also allowed three or fewer runs in all 10 of his starts in 2023.
J.P. France (1-1, 3.43 ERA): The rookie right-hander hasn’t kept the ball in the yard like his counterpart, serving up five homers across the past 16 innings in his previous three outings. However, he struck out a career-best eight batters last time out in Milwaukee, and France has allowed one or no runs in three of his four assignments.
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Trend to know
Gray has allowed two or fewer earned runs in all but one of his 10 starts in 2023. Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Astros
