Byron Buxton opened the story the way a leadoff hitter is supposed to, launching a leadoff home run that helped anchor Wednesday’s Marlins-Twins betting preview. The matchup drew attention because Miami’s Max Meyer has made eight starts and still has not taken a loss, while Minnesota’s Simeon Woods Richardson sits at 0-5.

Meyer has given up just two runs on 11 hits over his past 17 innings, a stretch that has made him the steadier arm in the matchup. Woods Richardson, by contrast, has allowed 27 runs over his past 27 ¹/₃ innings, a run of results that leaves Minnesota trying to stop the slide before it deepens further.

That contrast is the core of the wager. The preview is built around a Miami pitcher who has protected leads and a Twins starter who has not, which is why the leadoff note about Buxton matters more than it first appears. It signals the kind of quick offense Minnesota may need to keep pace if the game turns into a bullpen test.

The broader baseball backdrop in the same betting discussion also points to recent form carrying real weight. Bryan Woo, for example, was noted for allowing two runs and fanning nine Astros over six innings, another reminder that sharp pitching lines are shaping the market as much as team records are.

The wagering breakdown comes from Stitches, the one and only handicapper who has been breaking down baseball daily for the Post since 2019. He has finished in the black twice and won the Post’s NFL Best Bet crown last year, a résumé that gives the picks added attention even when the numbers are narrow. The article itself is framed as Marlins vs. Twins odds, prediction: MLB picks, odds, best bets Wednesday.

There is also the kind of side chatter that only shows up in a baseball betting piece and tells you how wide the sport’s conversation can stretch. Joe from Brooklyn offered a crack about Mets names — “Oh no, no, no! The last thing the Mets need is a guy named Ewing! Who’s next, a pitcher named Pisarcik?” — while another aside took aim at Braves farm system names. Neither line changes the odds, but both show how quickly baseball talk moves from numbers to memory to mockery.

The important part is still the pitching edge. Miami enters with a starter throwing like a bettor’s friend and Minnesota with one that has made every run feel expensive. If Wednesday follows the shape suggested by those last two outings, the Marlins will have more ways to win than the Twins do.