MLB Underdog of the Day (Joe Ryan and Logan Gilbert Collide in a Potentially Epic Pitcher's Duel)
By Matt De Saro
Fans attending T-Mobile Park on Tuesday night are in for a treat. The Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners don’t necessarily match up too well on most nights. But, with Logan Webb and Joe Ryan on the mound tonight, this will be a must-watch nightcap. If this amazing pitching duel isn’t enough to pique your interest, I’m not sure what would.
The Twins have started the process of distancing themselves from the rest of the AL Central after going 6-4 in their last 10 games including a win over Seattle last night 3-2. Minnesota enters this game with a 3.5-game lead in the division and is in a good spot as slight road dogs to make some noise. Here are the odds for this showdown from WynnBET Sportsbook:
Twins vs.Mariners Odds, Run Line, and Total
Run Line
- Twins: +1.5 (-215)
- Mariners: -1.5 (+175)
Moneyline:
- Twins: +103
- Mariners: -113
Total:
- Total 7 (Over -115/Under -105)
Best MLB Underdog Pick Today: Minnesota Twins
I’ve made no secret about how high I am on Joe Ryan this year and praised him on several occasions.
I’ve taken it so far as to buy several Joe Ryan NFT baseball cards, a bobblehead, and make him my dark horse Cy Young pick.
He missed some time on the COVID-19 list but he’s still a fantastic value at +3000 for the Cy Young. At 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, I am scratching my head as to why Ryan isn’t getting any love from the oddsmakers. The Twins, and Ryan, are underdogs in this game despite being a much better team riding a hot streak.
I get he’s making a return from a few weeks off, but it’s not as if he was injured. I do have some concerns about his pitch count restrictions tonight after throwing just 40 pitches for Triple-A St. Paul on June 9. But even with 65 or 70 pitches, Ryan can do a lot of work. He’s overall been phenomenal and allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his eight starts this season.
Now, Ryan’s return from the COVID list isn’t the only reason why the Mariners are favored against a much better team. Logan Gilbert has been equally as impressive as Ryan this year with a 6-2 record, 2.41 ERA, and 1.08 WHIP. Logan also has great numbers against the current Twins lineup with a batting average of just .148 and one extra-base hit in 25 at-bats.
And while I am very high on Gilbert as well, I’m not sold on the team around him. Considering this is an underdog of the day article I think it’s clear which of these pitchers I am siding with today. I think that in a vacuum, Ryan is a better pitcher and the Twins are the better team nine times out of 10.
Pick: Twins +103 / Lean Twins -1.5 Reverse RL
Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE