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The Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins square off on Thursday with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. This will be the second game of a doubleheader with Game 1 resuming at 1:10 p.m. ET with the Astros ahead 5-1 in the top of the fourth inning. Luis Garcia will throw for Houston, while Minnesota will start with Josh Winder on the mound.
If Houston (19-11) finishes off the first game with a win, they will head into the second with a nine-game winning streak. Garcia has a 3.45 ERA heading into start No. 6 of this season, and he’s coming off his best start, allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits and 2 walks with 9 strikeouts over 7 innings in a win over the Detroit Tigers. Yordan Alvarez has been one of the top home run hitters this season, and Michael Brantley leads the team with a .275 batting average.
Minnesota (18-12) swept the Oakland Athletics last weekend, but they are in danger of getting swept if they lose both games Thursday afternoon. Winder will make his sixth appearance and third start. He will enter with a 1.61 ERA through 22.1 innings of work and did not allow an earned run in his first two starts, spanning 12 innings. The Twins offense is led by Byron Buxton, who has 9 home runs but has not played since Saturday with an injury.
Astros vs. Twins
Pitchers: Luis Garcia vs. Josh Winder
First pitch: 3:30 p.m. ET
Astros local broadcast: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Twins local broadcast: Bally Sports North
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Moneyline odds: Astros -135, Twins +115
Picks & predictions
Moneyline pick: Twins +115
If Buxton is unable to go again, Minnesota’s lineup takes a hit, but this pitching matchup makes the Twins a solid play. Winder was unhittable in his first two starts, and getting plus-odds with him on the mound makes for a bet worth the risk.
Player prop pick: Martin Maldonado U0.5 hits (-110)
Betting against Maldonado to get a hit with these odds is a fantastic play looking at his numbers in 2022. The Astros catcher is hitting .078 this season with just 1 hit over his past seven games, spanning 22 innings of work.
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