The Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays meet at Rogers Centre for the second meeting of a three-game set on Saturday afternoon with the hosts coming into the contest as one of the hottest teams in the majors.
The Jays have won nine of their last 12 games, although they did drop the series opener to the Twins in extra innings, but MLB odds have them as slight favorites despite leaning on a bullpen game today.
Is Toronto rightfully favored to bounce back against a Minnesota team that finally feels good after snapping a five-game skid? I'll discuss that, and give you my best free MLB betting pick, in my Twins vs. Blue Jays predictions for Saturday, June 10.
Twins vs Blue Jays odds
Twins vs Blue Jays predictions
The Minnesota Twins eked out a 3-2 win in the series opener yesterday as Michael A. Taylor drove in all three runs for Minnesota, including the go-ahead sac fly in the 10th to help the visitors earn the victory.
It was a turning of the tables for both clubs, as the Twins came into the contest on a five-game losing skid while the Toronto Blue Jays had gone 7-1 in their previous eight outings.
What’s made Toronto so successful over the last few weeks has been starting pitching: The Jays rank first in the majors in team ERA over the last 15 days (2.86) while also ranking Top 5 in WHIP (1.10) and opponent batting average (.216).
Alek Manoah getting optioned to the minor leagues earlier this week, however, throws a wrench into the club’s regular rotation. Toronto announced this morning that veteran reliever Trevor Richards will start today as the opener — he can deliver 2-3 innings if needed, but it's very possible we see rookie Bowden Francis make his 2023 debut as the bulk guy with Yimi Garcia, Nate Pearson, and Erik Swanson all likely unavailable today.
It’s hard to say how much length Richards and Francis will definitively give the Jays, but they are set up for early success against a struggling Twins offense: Minnesota has scored just 10 runs total over its last seven contests, with Friday’s win being the only time they’ve put up three runs in a game over that span, so Toronto should be able to keep the Twins bats quiet regardless of who’s on the mound.
Meanwhile, Joe Ryan has been great, scattering just two hits and two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings in his last start against the Guardians on June 4, and his 0.95 WHIP ranks third among all pitchers in the Majors.
With the Jays offense scuffling a bit too, we could very much be in line for another game that's rather uneventful in the early going.
My best bet: First 5-innings Under 4.5 (-114 at Sports Interaction)
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
Bet with one of Canada’s best
Looking to bet on some Jays action? Join Sports Interaction, the best in Canada for new bettors.
Twins vs Blue Jays moneyline analysis
Despite dropping the series opener, the Jays still stand as one of the hottest teams in the majors over the last 15 days, with their 10 wins during that span tied for the most among all teams.
The one area where the Twins have the edge today, though, is starting pitching: Ryan has been stellar, and while the Jays have been piling up the wins, it hasn’t really been the bats that have carried them, as they’ve scored just 53 runs over their last 14 contests — just 3.79 runs per game.
With both offenses looking pretty tame, I think we’ll see a tight game with the Blue Jays ultimately eking out a low-scoring win.
Twins vs Blue Jays Over/Under analysis
Both clubs have struggled to drive in many runs of late and we saw that trend continue in the series opener as they combined for just five runs in 10 innings.
The Under is 7-0 in Minnesota’s last seven games and 5-1 in the club’s last six road contests, while the Under is also 6-1-1 in Toronto’s last eight home games and 9-2-1 in its last 12 contests overall.
Ryan should have another solid outing for the Twins and even with a patchwork effort on the mound for Toronto, it’s hard to foresee Minnesota piling on the offense.
That said, the Under is the easy play in this one.
Twins vs Blue Jays game info
| Location: | Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Saturday, June 10, 2023 |
| First pitch: | 3:07 p.m. ET |
| TV: | BSNO, SNET |
Starting pitchers
Joe Ryan (7-3, 2.76 ERA): Ryan has been one of Minnesota’s most consistent starters this season, though the wins have slowed down for the right-hander. He started the year with five straight victories but has gone 2-3 over his last six appearances. That said, Ryan has held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in five of his last seven outings.
Trevor Richards (0-0, 3.67 ERA): The veteran righty will be the opener for Toronto today, likely giving the team 2-3 innings, but we very well could see Bowden Francis be the bulk guy today. He threw 2/3 of an inning for Toronto last April but has primarily been pitching for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons this season, posting a 3.45 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP over four starts (15 2/3 innings).
Latest injuries
Trend to know
The Under is 8-1 in Toronto’s last nine games vs. the American League Central. Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Blue Jays
