Astros vs Twins Preview: Series Tied Heading to Minnesota

The Houston Astros visit the Minnesota Twins for an early start on Tuesday in Game 3 of the ALDS. The Twins evened the series with a 6-2 victory Sunday night. But the Astros are now in their preferred location. Houston’s 51 road wins were the third-best in Major League Baseball. The Twins were 47-34 at home. Cristian Javier and Sonny Gray will get the start. The Astros vs Twins preview shows Minnesota is -130 with a total of 8.

Javier is making his 2023 postseason debut, but he’s been a solid playoff pitcher in the past. In 14 games, he’s 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings. This will be his third start, with 12 appearances in relief. For the season, Javier was 10-5 with a 4.56 ERA. Despite his lofty ERA, the Astros were 21-10 when Javier took the mound this season. Houston scored an average of 6.39 runs. So much of Javier’s success was due to an offense that came up big for him. Javier hasn’t faced the Twins this season.

Gray pitched five scoreless innings in Minnesota’s win over Toronto for his first playoff win. He’s 1-2 lifetime with a 2.39 ERA in the postseason. During the year, Gray was 8-8 with a solid 2.79 ERA. But the Twins are just 15-18 when he starts this season, averaging 3.67 runs per game. Gray won both starts against the Astros this season.

Correa Shines in Postseason Again

Carlos Correa drove in three runs Sunday night against his former MLB team. The three RBI gave him 63 for his career, moving him past Derek Jeter and David Ortiz on the career list. He’s now tied for third place all-time. Correa is batting .533 in the playoffs.

Astros Have Shown Ability to Bounce Back

Houston has been strong after a setback during the year. The Astros are 42-30 after a loss and 24-11 on the road after a loss. Houston has posted an 11-4 record as a road underdog following a defeat.

Astros vs Twins Betting Game 3

The Astros vs Twins preview notes Houston was 12-6 on the road with Javier pitching and 11-5-2 in totals. The MLB scores and odds have Houston as an impressive 6-1 as an away underdog when Javier started. The Astros scored 8.0 runs per game in that situation, winning games 12-11 and 10-7. Javier has been average, but the Astros have been great as a team.

Gray has pitched much better than his record indicates and this could be the biggest start of his playoff career. The Twins will see their World Series odds drop quite a bit with a victory, having a chance to wrap up the series Wednesday at home.

The Astros vs Twins preview simply can’t ignore the winning percentage of the Astros with Javier on the mound. He may not be pitching great, but his team wins and that’s all that really matters, especially for baseball bettors. Javier’s record as an away underdog is impressive and offers a bit of value at plus money. It’s probably not going to be one of your best baseball bets today, but Houston is the side to be on in this game.

For MLB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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