by Rod Pearson
Saturday, Jun 08, 2024
Game Time: 4:05 pm ET, Saturday, June 8, 2024
Venue: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Where to Watch: BSN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Twins -122, Pirates +102; Over/Under: 9 runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Twins -125, Pirates +105; Over/Under: 9 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Twins -125, Pirates +105; Over/Under: 9 runs
Season Record
Minnesota Twins: 33-29 (3rd place, AL Central)
Pittsburgh Pirates: 29-33 (5th place, NL Central)
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Recent Form
Minnesota Twins: 5-5 last 10
Pittsburgh Pirates: 5-5 last 10
Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates Preview and Analysis
The Twins are entering this series off a loss and got swept in their 3-game series against the New York Yankees 3-0 in their last series. They enter this game with a 33-29 record overall and have a road record of 17-16. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Pirates on Saturday with the series opener of this series still to be played on Friday. Their offense ranks 15th in the MLB with a .698 OPS. Joe Ryan is their starting pitcher on Friday while Simeon Woods Richardson is making his start in this game on Saturday. He is 2-0 with a 3.05 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 3 ER, 2 HR, and 2 BB with 6 Ks on 3 hits through 4.1 IP against the Houston Astros.
The Pirates are entering this series off a loss and won their 3-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 29-33 record overall and have a home record of 14-16. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Twins on Saturday with the 1st game of this series still to be played on Friday. Their offense ranks 26th in the MLB with a .660 OPS. Mitch Keller is their starting pitcher on Friday while Carmen Mlodzinski is making his start in this game on Saturday. He is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA this season. His team lost 5 of their last 6 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 0 earned runs, 0 homers, and 2 BB with 1 strikeout on 0 hits through 1 inning played against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Twins vs Pirates Prediction
The current betting odds have the Twins listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Twins have looked good in their games this season with their 33-29 record overall, but that record only has them in 3rd place of the AL Central. They haven't looked great in their road games this year but they haven't been a bad road team either, going 17-16 in those and still with a winning record. Meanwhile, the Pirates have looked terrible in their games this season with their 29-33 record overall which has them at the bottom of the NL Central and their 14-16 home record too. They don't really have a starter set in stone for this game either so it could be a bullpen game for them, and their bullpen wasn't looking great in their last series against the Dodgers. The Twins are going to have Woods Richardson starting in this game and he has been a reliable starter for them this year. He is 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA and hasn't been giving up many runs. He did give up 3 earned runs in his last start, but he will be looking to bounce back here and the team has still had success with him on the mound, winning their last 3 games with him starting. The Twins have also had the better offense all season and they are going to be motivated to win this series after getting swept by the Yankees in their last one. The best way to place a bet here is on the Twins to win this game.
Twins Pirates Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Saturday, June 8, 2024 (4:05 pm ET start time) is Twins 6 Pirates 3.
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MLB Betting Trends
Minnesota Twins: 201-192 (-25 units) on the moneyline in all games. 80-87 (-9.7 units) on the moneyline when the money line is +125 to -125. 90-108 (-21.6 units) on the moneyline in road games. 22-10 UNDER when the money line is +125 to -125. 25-18 UNDER against right-handed starters. SIMEON WOODS RICHARDSON is 7-3 UNDER in all games and 5-2 UNDER in road games.
Pittsburgh Pirates: 19-17 (+7.4 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 or higher. 14-10 (+6.6 units) on the moneyline when the total is 8.5 to 10. 56-61 (+11.6 units) on the moneyline after a game where the bullpen gave up no earned runs.
Key Injuries
Minnesota Twins: B. Lee (SS) Ques Fri - Back. C. Culpepper (PH) Out indefinitely - Forearm. D. De Andrade (SS) Out indefinitely - Ankle.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Q. Priester (RP) Out indefinitely - Upper Body. M. Taylor (CF) Out Fri - Personal. J. Bae (SS) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. M. Gonzales (SP) Out indefinitely - Forearm. A. Williams (SS) Out indefinitely - Wrist. J. Bart (C) Out indefinitely - Thumb. M. Perez (SP) Mid June - Groin. B. Chandler (SP) Out indefinitely - Forearm. R. Borucki (RP) Out indefinitely - Arm. D. Moreta (RP) out for season - Elbow. J. Oviedo (SP) out for season - Elbow. E. Rodriguez (C) out for season - Elbow.
Notable Quotes
“Against a lineup as deep as this one, you’re just giving them fuel. The offense kept battling. I just like kept digging them in a deeper hole inning after inning. That’s exactly what I should not be doing, and it’s on me.” - Pablo Lopez after their loss against the Yankees in their game on Thursday.
“Teoscar is a good hitter, especially against lefties. Just got to be a little bit more smart.” - Bailey Falter after their loss against the LA Dodgers in their game on Thursday.
Starting Lineups
Minnesota Twins
Trevor Larnach (L) LF
Alex Kirilloff (L) DH
Carlos Correa (R) SS
Max Kepler (L) RF
Willi Castro (S) CF
Jose Miranda (R) 3B
Carlos Santana (S) 1B
Kyle Farmer (R) 2B
Christian Vázquez (R) C
Pittsburgh Pirates
Andrew McCutchen (R) DH
Bryan Reynolds (S) LF
Ke'Bryan Hayes (R) 3B
Oneil Cruz (L) SS
Edward Olivares (R) RF
Nick Gonzales (R) 2B
Rowdy Tellez (L) 1B
Henry Davis (R) C
Jack Suwinski (L) CF
Statistical Leaders
Minnesota Twins
Batting Average: Royce Lewis (.571)
Hits: Willi Castro (53)
Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (12)
RBI: Ryan Jeffers (36)
Stolen Bases: Willi Castro (7)
Wins: Pablo López (5)
Saves: Jhoan Duran (10)
ERA: Josh Staumont (0.00)
Pittsburgh Pirates
Batting Average: Nick Gonzales (.315)
Hits: Bryan Reynolds (64)
Home Runs: Andrew McCutchen (8)
RBI: Bryan Reynolds (34)
Stolen Bases: Jack Suwinski (5)
Wins: Mitch Keller (7)
Saves: David Bednar (12)
ERA: Justin Bruihl (0.00)
Managers:
Minnesota Twins: Rocco Baldelli (6th season)
Pittsburgh Pirates: Derek Shelton (5th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
