The MLB All-Star Game is July 11, but the actual halfway point of the 162-game regular season arrives this week for every team in the sport. Here are two intriguing early-week matchups. Check back for MLB odds.

Top MLB Betting Picks of the Week (June 26th, 2023)

MLB Power Rankings: Braves knock Rays out of No. 1 spot, Giants move into top fivehttps://t.co/Hrpe2bfpV5

— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) June 26, 2023

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Minnesota Twins vs. Atlanta Braves

• When: Monday, June 26, 2023, 7:20 PM ET
• Where: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
• TV: BSNO, BSSO, MLBN
• Radio: 102.9 The Wolf (Twins) // 680 The Fan (Braves)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Odds: Twins (+176) // Braves (-204)

Could be a World Series preview. The Braves almost surely will win the NL East, while the Twins lead the AL Central and probably win that. Minnesota may not have enough to win the pennant like Atlanta does.

Excellent Twins closed Jhoan Duran might not be available as he protected a three-run lead in the tenth inning and picked up his 11th save of the season on Sunday against the Tigers. Duran fired a scoreless inning, striking out one and while not allowing a hit or walk. The 25-year-old has a 1.45 ERA and 0.93 WHIP.

Injury-prone All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton wasn’t in the lineup Sunday as Buxton tweaked his back while grounding into a double play to end the sixth inning on Saturday. The club is hoping no IL stint is needed.

Atlanta’s Matt Olson is currently tied with Shohei Ohtani for the major league lead with 25 homers. Olson is pacing for 51 home runs and 122 RBI on the season. .Just one player in franchise history has compiled such a year: Andruw Jones hit a franchise-record 51 homers and drove in 128 runs in 2005.

Closer Raisel Iglesias pitched around a pair of singles to pitch a scoreless ninth and notch a save Sunday against the Reds. That’s better than the two homers he pitched around Saturday but also means Iglesias will not be available Monday.

It’s Sonny Gray on the mound for the Twins, and he’s having perhaps his best season. Gray (4-1, 2.56) allowed three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five batters over five innings in a no-decision against Boston on Wednesday. He hasn’t pitched into the sixth inning in any of his past three outings, though he’s posted a solid 3.86 ERA over that span.

Gray has yet to give up more than three runs in a game through 15 starts this season, but he hasn’t picked up a win since April 30. Since that date he’s taken eight no-decisions and one loss while recording a 3.91 ERA. But his 2.56 ERA overall is among the AL leaders. Gray is facing the Braves for the sixth time in his career and first with Minnesota. He is 0-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 30.2 innings vs. the Braves. He last faced them on August 10, 2021 at Truist Park, taking a no-decision while with the Reds.

Atlanta’s Spencer Strider (8-2) earned the win last Tuesday, allowing a run on eight hits over six innings against the Phillies. He struck out nine. It was the 10th time in 15 starts that he’s logged nine or more strikeouts. The 24-year-old Strider leads the league with 136 punchouts while recording a 3.93 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 84.2 innings. He has never faced Minnesota.

MLB Betting Pick: Braves

Chicago White Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels

• When: Tuesday, June 27, 2023, 9:38 PM ET
• Where: Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
• TV: NBCSCH, BSW, MLBN
• Radio: ESPN WMVP AM 1000 (White Sox) // KLAA 830 AM (Angels)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Odds: TBA

The Angels won two of three in Chicago from May 29-31 and are looking to win a seventh consecutive season series vs. White Sox. Since 2011, the Angels are 53-28 (.654) vs. the White Sox.

It’s Shohei Ohtani night in Anaheim on Tuesday. as the Halos star will take the mound in addition to his usual spot at DH in the lineup. Ohtani, to no surprise, has been named the starting DH for the American League in the All-Star Game again.

Ohtani (6-3, 3.13) allowed one run while striking out 12 batters over seven innings last Wednesday in a loss against the Dodgers. He generated a stellar 20 whiffs and tossed 77 of his 101 pitches for strikes. Ohtani was saddled with the tough-luck loss thanks to zero run support from the Angels’ offense. The 28-year-old has a 3.13 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 117/37 K/BB across 89 innings on the mound. He leads the majors in opponent batting average (.179) and ranks fourth in strikeouts and ninth in WHIP.

Closer Carlos Estévez is pitching to a 1.74 ERA (31 IP – 6 ER) and has converted all 19 of his save opportunities (the 19 saves are a new career high). He has tied Lee Smith’s Club record from 1995 with 19 consecutive successful save chances to start a season.

The Angels are dealing with some injuries in the infield so they acquired both Eduardo Escobar from Atlanta and Mike Moustakas from Colorado. Escobar played on Saturday and Sunday in Denver for his new team and went nuts with four hits.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol told reporters on Sunday that Liam Hendriks will not return from the injured list before the All-Star break. Hendriks landed on the injured list earlier this month with right elbow inflammation. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection and has resumed throwing, but he needs more time to heal. Kendall Graveman will continue to handle the closing duties for the White Sox in his absence. Third baseman Yoan Moncada is also on the IL.

It’s hard-throwing Michael Kopech (3-6) on the mound Tuesday. Kopech (3-6) took the loss last Wednesday versus the Rangers, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five over four innings. Kopech needed 86 pitches (46 strikes) to get through the short start. He has gone five starts without a win and now has a 4.06 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 94:42 K:BB over 82 innings on the season.

“To be frank, (I’m) a little embarrassed about how I’ve been pitching,” Kopech said after his last start. “I know what this team needs. And I know I haven’t been giving that. To not be getting more than five innings, especially in the last few starts, it’s embarrassing, to say the least.”

MLB Betting Pick: Angels

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