In addition to the NRFI, Kenny G advised laying the modest -135 with Minnesota to finish the sweep. The Twins are 28-19 at Target Field, and Woods Richardson’s recent heater (0.95 ERA in his last four) sets them up to dominate the matchup with 3-10 Mitch Keller. Keller’s surface ERA is decent (3.58) but his 43% hard-hit rate and .311 xBA allowed hint at regression, especially against a Twins lineup that has scored 12, 4, 8 and 5 runs in four of its last five. Minnesota’s bullpen woes (4.17 ERA) are real, but Pittsburgh’s offense is historically inept – last in MLB in runs, SLG, and first-inning scoring – so Kenny doubts they can exploit late-inning chances. He projected the number should be closer to -150 and recommended playing Minnesota on the moneyline or pairing it in parlays.

Cash Out Sports Picks took Pittsburgh on the road, stressing bullpen edge (3.74 ERA – 10th vs Twins’ 4.22 – 22nd). Rookie Travis Adams looked shaky in his MLB debut, while Mike Burrows owns a 2.20 ERA over his past seven outings. That combination, plus Minnesota’s sputtering relief corps, gives the Pirates ‘a real edge in keeping things under control’ despite both offenses slumping.

Sheffield identified Jhoan Duran of the Twins as the bullpen arm most likely to shake up the saves landscape. He pointed out that Philadelphia has "been looking for a closer for years" and that Duran’s triple-digit heater and hammer splitter are a clear talent upgrade over the Phillies’ revolving door of ninth-inning options. Minnesota’s perpetual injury issues and uncertain contention status make them a plausible seller, while the Phillies’ window encourages an aggressive move. Fantasy managers hunting saves were urged to stash Duran or buy before any trade chatter heats up, as a shift to Citizens Bank Park would lock him into steady ninth-inning volume.

Just A Bet Outside recommended betting Joe Ryan’s strikeout over versus Pittsburgh. The Pirates own the third-highest K-rate against right-handers during the last three weeks (24.2 %). Ryan has been nails in Minneapolis, carrying a massive 33.9 % strike-out rate at home compared to 23 % on the road. He has recorded 6-plus Ks in five of his past six starts and sits at 116 strikeouts through 104.1 innings overall. With Ryan’s slider/four-seam combo playing up in Target Field and the Bucs striking out a quarter of the time, the tout projects another 7–8 punchouts, easily clearing most posted numbers around 5.5 or 6.5.

Matt Perrault said the safest wager in Pirates-Twins is the full-game UNDER 6.5. He rattled off Paul Skenes’ recent score lines—1-0 loss to Seattle, 1-0 win over St. Louis, 4-2 vs Milwaukee, 8-4 in extras at Detroit, 2-1 in extras vs the Cubs, 2-1 vs Philadelphia, and 3-0 loss to Houston—to illustrate how every Skenes start since June 3 has been a low-scoring grinder through nine innings (only the extra-inning Detroit game cracked 6.5). Pittsburgh’s offense rarely supplies run support while Skenes flashes elite stuff that keeps opponents quiet. On the other side Joe Ryan owns a stingy 2.86 ERA and .188 opponents’ average at Target Field, reinforcing Perrault’s projection of another 1-0 or 2-1 type contest. He called the under a "good play" even for bettors who skip the Pirates money line.

Perrault grabbed the Pirates at +105 simply because Paul Skenes is on the bump. Despite Pittsburgh’s six-game skid and punch-less offense, he refuses to pass on plus money when Skenes is dealing. The rookie’s recent decisions include a 1-0 loss to Seattle, 1-0 win over St. Louis, and two extra-inning nail-biters, underscoring how little run support he needs to keep games tight. Joe Ryan counters for Minnesota (2.86 home ERA, .188 BAA), but the Twins have lost four of his last five starts and could be distracted by trade rumors swirling around the right-hander. Perrault framed it as a principled play: in a likely low-scoring affair, he trusts Skenes’ elite stuff to pull the upset even if the final is 2-1 or 1-0.