Twins vs. Guardians: Game 1, prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians will start their series on Monday, with many MLB teams having a day off. It's an early divisional matchup between two bitter rivals. Here's what fans need to know.

Twins vs. Guardians recent form and records

The Guardians are entering Monday's game at 15-12 and are second in the AL Central. They've won six of their last 10 games, but have also lost two in a row. They lost their last series to the Boston Red Sox.

The Twins are 12-16 and fourth in the same division. However, they have won six of their last 10, including three in a row, to climb the standings. They swept the LA Angels.

Players to watch

Starting pitchers

Bailey Ober (2-1, 5.04 ERA, 23 strikeouts) vs. Gavin Williams (2-1, 4.15 ERA, 26 strikeouts)

Ober was 12-9 with a 3.98 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 191 strikeouts in 178.2 innings pitched last season.

Last Start: Six innings, eight hits, one run, one walk and six strikeouts.

Career vs. Guardians: 2-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 45 innings (eight appearances).

Williams was 3-10 with a 4.86 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 79 strikeouts in 76 innings pitched last season.

Last Start: 6.1 innings, seven hits, two runs, one walk and eight strikeouts.

Career vs. Twins: 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched (four appearances).

Must-watch hitters

Twins

Byron Buxton isn't hitting well, but he leads the team with a .237 batting average. He also has a team-high six home runs and 15 RBIs.

Trevor Larnach is leading Minnesota with a .330 on-base percentage. He also has 13 walks and 14 RBIs.

Guardians

Unsurprisingly, Steven Kwan is hitting as well as anyone. He has a sterling .346 batting average that leads the team. Kwan is also leading in OBP and hits.

Kyle Manzardo has been a revelation this year. He ranks among the league leaders with seven home runs and leads Cleveland with 18 RBIs.

Injuries

The latest Guardians injury update mentioned that Slade Cecconi threw a bullpen session. Everyone else who's been playing is healthy.

For the Twins, Matt Wallner suffered a hamstring injury that could cost him a month. Luke Keaschall is also still out with a fractured arm.

Twins vs. Guardians betting odds

Moneyline	Spread	Total
Twins +105	Twins -1.5 (+165)	Over 8 (-115)
Guardians -125	Guardians +1.5 (-220)	Under 8 (-105)

Twins vs Guardians expert predictions

The pitching matchup is a toss-up. Gavin Williams has been a little better than Bailey Ober, but Ober was much better in 2024. Their last starts were both good.

On offense, Minnesota has been about as disappointing as any team. Cleveland's leading hitter has a higher batting average than the highest qualified OBP on the Twins. That should be enough.

Prediction: Guardians 5, Twins 2

About the author

Zachary is a journalist covering NFL, Professional Golf, esports, and Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda. He has a degree in writing/editing from Southern Adventist University (USA), and in his spare time, he likes to play games such as Minecraft, Pokémon and Fortnite, or watch sports.

Ever since he was a youth football wide receiver, Zachary has been an avid NFL fan. He loves the Carolina Panthers, with Cam Newton being his all-time favorite player (with respect to the close second, Steve Smith). If you ever meet Zachary, prepare to hear all about how underrated Newton was and how he single-handedly dragged the Panthers to Super Bowl 50.

Zachary is also a big fan of top golfers like Tiger Woods, Wyndham Clark, and Scottie Scheffler. He enjoys watching them and hopes that Woods can return to form soon and win again.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez