Twins vs. Astros: Picks, predictions, how to watch Wednesday’s game

The Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros square off on Wednesday with first pitch set for 8:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Minute Maid Park in Houston and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Framber Valdez (12-4, 2.72 ERA) will take the mound for Houston, and Dylan Bundy (7-5, 4.60 ERA) will pitch for Minnesota.

The Twins (62-59) are coming off a two-run loss last night to Justin Verlander and the Astros. An argument between Twins pitcher Aaron Sanchez and Astros second baseman Jose Altuvé caused the benches to clear and led to Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli’s ejection. Despite the Twins’ near-.500 record, they’re sitting only 3.0 games behind the AL Central lead.

The Astros (79-45) are sitting comfortably atop the AL West. Two-time Cy Young winner Verlander has notched a 16-3 record so far this season, and Houston ranks eighth in MLB in runs per game (4.59). Valdez is heating up, too, posting a 4-1 record in his last five starts.

Twins vs. Astros

Pitchers: Dylan Bundy vs. Framber Valdez
First pitch: 8:10 p.m. ET
Twins local broadcast: Bally Sports North
Astros local broadcast: AT&T SportsNet-Southwest
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Astros -1.5 (-105)
Run total: 7.5
Moneyline odds: Astros -230, Twins +195

Moneyline pick: Astros -230

The pitching mismatch might be too much to overlook with Valdez taking the mound — the Astros LHP hit 20 consecutive quality starts last week — and after the Twins struggled through six no-hit innings last night, I don’t see much of an upside with a Minnesota pick, even with the small payout from Houston.

Player prop pick: Framber Valdez to earn a win (-110)

Valdez has earned the win in three straight starts and in five of his last six. With Minnesota’s lackluster performance on Tuesday, Valdez seems primed for another strong outing and should leave with his 13th win of the season.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 (ONT), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY; 19+ ONT). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/ONT/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. DraftKings operates pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario. Please play responsibly.