Minnesota Twins vs Houston Astros Prediction, Preview and Odds - 05/31/2023

Game Time: 8:10 pm ET, Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Venue:  Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX 

Where to Watch:  Sportsnet SW

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Twins +165, Astros -195; Over/Under:  8 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Twins +165, Astros -195; Over/Under:  8 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Twins +165, Astros -195; Over/Under:  8 runs

Minnesota Twins:  28-26 (1st place, AL Central)

Houston Astros:  31-22 (2nd place, AL West)

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Minnesota Twins:  4-6 last 10

Houston Astros:  7-3 last 10

The Twins are entering this game off of a win in their last game but lost their 3-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 28-26 record overall and have a road record of 12-14. This is the series finale of a 3-game series with the Astros on Wednesday with the 2nd game of this series still to be played on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 19th in the MLB with a .722 OPS. Joe Ryan is their starting pitcher on Tuesday while Louie Varland is making his start in this game on Wednesday. He is 2-1 with a 4.24 ERA this season. His team won 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 3 ER, 2 HR, and 0 BB with 3 Ks on 7 hits through 6 IP against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Astros are entering this game off of a loss in their last game after completing the sweep in a 3-game series against the Oakland Athletics 3-0 in their last series. They enter this game with a 31-22 record overall and have a home record of 14-12. This is the 3rd game of a 3-game series with the Twins on Wednesday with the 2nd game of this series still to be played on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 22nd in the MLB with a .707 OPS. Brandon Bielak is their starting pitcher on Tuesday while Hunter Brown is making his start in this game on Wednesday. He is 5-1 with a 3.12 ERA this season. His team won their last 3 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 earned runs, 1 homer, and 1 BB with 10 strikeouts on 4 hits through 7 innings played against the Oakland Athletics.

The current betting odds have the Astros listed as a big favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Astros got off to a really slow start this season as they were still feeling the effects of their World Series hangover but they have been getting hot over the last few weeks now and are starting to surge back up the standings as they look to overtake the Rangers in their division. Their offense still hasn't been great but their pitching has been some of the best in the league and they will be able to take advantage of this pitching matchup since the Twins don't have a great offense either and haven't been nearly as good in their road games. Varland has also been a really shaky starter for the Twins this season as he has given up quite a few runs in his starts while Brown has been a stud for the Astros this year, not giving up many runs in his starts and the team also finding a lot of success with him as the starter. The Astros are getting a lot hotter now and as long as they continue to pitch the way they have been pitching all season, they will always give themselves a great chance to win. Their offense has also been getting better lately and they will wake up here with the way Varland has been giving up runs in his starts. The best way to place a bet here is on the Astros to win this game and on the runline.

Twins Astros Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Wednesday, May 31, 2023 (8:10 pm ET start time) is Astros 4 Twins 1.

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Minnesota Twins: 13-34 (-10 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +150 or more. 47-71 (-24.2 units) on the moneyline on the road when the total is 7 to 8.5. 16-8 OVER as an underdog of +175 to +250. 21-11 OVER as a road underdog of +150 or more.

Houston Astros: 73-31 (+10.6 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -175 to -250. 123-72 (+19.2 units) on the moneyline when the total is 8 to 8.5. 6-3 OVER as a home favorite of -150 to -200. 9-4 OVER at home when the total is 8 to 8.5.

Minnesota Twins:  E. Pagan (RP) Ques Tues - Hip. T. Larnach (RF) Out indefinitely - Illness. K. Maeda (SP) Mid June - Tricep. J. Alcala (RP) Out indefinitely - Forearm. G. Celestino (CF) Early June - Thumb. J. Polanco (SS) Early June - Hamstring. N. Gordon (2B) Out indefinitely - Shin. T. Mahle (SP) out for season - Elbow. C. Thielbar (RP) Out indefinitely - Oblique. C. Paddack (SP) Early Sept - Elbow.

Houston Astros:  M. Brantley (DH) Early June - Shoulder. L. McCullers Jr. (SP) Mid July - Elbow. L. Garcia (SP) out for season - Elbow. J. Urquidy (SP) Mid July - Shoulder.

“What a day. What a day for him.” - Rocco Baldelli on Royce Lewis after his team’s win against the Astros in their game on Monday.

“That's the first time in a long time. You know it's bound to happen but that doesn't make it any easier to take.” - Dusty Baker after his team’s loss against the Twins in their game on Monday.

Joey Gallo (L) 1B

Edouard Julien (L) 2B

Carlos Correa (R) SS

Alex Kirilloff (L) DH

Royce Lewis (R) 3B

Max Kepler (L) RF

Ryan Jeffers (R) C

Willi Castro (S) LF

Michael A. Taylor (R) CF

Jose Altuve (R) 2B

Jeremy Pena (R) SS

Yordan Alvarez (L) DH

Alex Bregman (R) 3B

Kyle Tucker (L) RF

Jose Abreu (R) 1B

Jake Meyers (R) CF

Mauricio Dubon (R) LF

Martin Maldonado (R) C

Batting Average:  Royce Lewis (.400)

Hits:  Byron Buxton (40)

Home Runs:  Joey Gallo (11)

RBI:  Trevor Larnach (27)

Stolen Bases:  Willi Castro (9)

Wins:  Joe Ryan (7)

Saves:  Jhoan Duran (7)

ERA:  Cole Sands (0.00)

Batting Average:  Jose Altuve (.355)

Hits:  Kyle Tucker (51)

Home Runs:  Yordan Alvarez (14)

RBI:  Yordan Alvarez (48)

Stolen Bases:  Kyle Tucker (7)

Wins:  Cristian Javier (6)

Saves:  Ryan Pressly (10)

ERA:  Parker Mushinski (0.00)

Managers:

Minnesota Twins: Rocco Baldelli (5th season)

Houston Astros: Dusty Baker (4th season)