Cardinals vs. Twins: Prediction, Props & Best Bets (6/12)

An interleague Midwestern clash ignites Friday night's baseball slate as St. Louis Cardinals (37-29, 2nd in NL Central) travel to Target Field to face Minnesota Twins (31-39, 3rd in AL Central).

Both squads are looking to bounce back after tough Thursday afternoon losses. The Cardinals dropped a 5-4 nail-biter to the Mets to snap a five-game win streak, while the Twins were blanked 11-0 by the Tigers.

Despite Minnesota's recent struggles, having lost back-to-back series (2-6 in their last eight), they send their bona fide ace to the hill on Friday night, albeit in hitter-friendly weather and first pitch is scheduled for 8:10 PM ET, with the game streaming on MLB.TV.

In addition to their win-loss records, keep in mind that the Twins are 37-33 against the run line and the Over on the run total has hit in 45 of their 70 games.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals are 40-26 against the run line and the Over on the run total has hit 29 times in their 66 games.

Cardinals vs. Twins betting picks and predictions

Twins -1.5 (+145)

The starting pitching matchup gives a massive edge to the Twins. Joe Ryan has been spectacular as Minnesota's ace this season, pitching to a 3.07 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, which ranks ninth in the majors.

Ryan has been incredibly reliable, tossing at least six innings in six consecutive starts while allowing two earned runs or fewer in five of them. He is even sharper at Target Field, boasting a stellar 2.61 home ERA.

Conversely, the Cardinals trot out Kyle Leahy, who has struggled severely on the road (5.04 ERA) and under the lights (5.02 night ERA).

Leahy's deeper metrics show a pitcher who unravels the deeper he goes into a ballgame.

While he limits damage the first time through the order (.214 AVG), opponents thrash him for a .283 average the second time around and a staggering .449 average and 1.316 OPS the third time he faces them.

Expect a motivated Twins offense that was blanked yesterday to jump on Leahy for a crooked number or two, providing Ryan a cushion to coast into the middle innings and give Minnesota a margin to cover the run line.

Over 8.5 total runs (-110)

While Ryan provides top-tier stability, the Cardinals' offense matches up uniquely well against him.

St. Louis power hitters like Jordan Walker (3-for-3 with a home run lifetime off Ryan) and Lars Nootbaar (3-for-5 with a home run) have given the Twins right-handy fits, while Alec Burleson has also taken him deep for his only hit in four career chances against the Southern California native.

The Cards have some serious pop clicking right now; Walker leads the club with 17 home runs and 52 RBIs, and Burleson is batting .290 with 11 long balls.

Furthermore, both teams excel when the sun goes down. St. Louis (.745 OPS) and Minnesota (.741 OPS) both rank in the top 10 in baseball in night game OPS.

With temperatures expected to hover around 80 degrees with partly cloudy skies in Minneapolis, the ball should carry beautifully.

Even if Ryan turns in another quality start - say, six innings and three runs allowed - he will eventually have to hand the ball off to a heavily taxed Twins bullpen that ranks 28th in the MLB with a dismal 5.07 ERA.

Combined with the Twins hammering Leahy's split-heavy road metrics, an 8-5 type of scoreline is firmly on the table.

Trust the pitching mismatch early, but rely on the warm weather and poor bullpen performances on both sides to push this game past the total.

Take the Twins on the run line and lock in the over.

Kody Clemens to hit a home run (+390)

While stars like Byron Buxton, who is hitting .291 at home with an elite 1.007 OPS, and Walker will draw the majority of the public's betting slips, the real value on the board lies with Minnesota infielder Kody Clemens.

He is raking in the month of June, pushing his season OPS up to a .786. His statistical profile lines up perfectly for a breakout performance against Leahy on Friday night.

Leahy routinely gets tanked by left-handed hitters. Clemens, a lefty swinger, has hit seven of his nine home runs this season against right-handed pitching.

Seven of his nine long balls have also come under the lights, where he rocks a .859 night OPS.

At +390, Clemens represents an exceptional value prop to clear the fence against an opponent who struggles deeply away from home.

Read more betting picks and predictions for the MLB on site.

Cardinals vs. Twins odds

St. Louis Cardinals	+115 ML
Minnesota Twins	-135 ML
Run Line	Twins -1.5
Total	O/U 8.5

Cardinals vs. Twins player props

Player home run odds

Byron Buxton (MIN Twins)	+300
Alec Burleson (STL Cardinals)	+375
Kody Clemens (MIN Twins)	+390
Jordan Walker (STL Cardinals)	+425
Lars Nootbar (STL Cardinals)	+475
JJ Wetherholt (STL Cardinals)	+500

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.