The Royals face the White Sox in Chicago! Our MLB odds series has our Royals White Sox prediction, odds, and pick for Wednesday.
The Royals have come out of the gate playing very well. They have a 11-6 record thanks in large part to their pitching. Their pitching is second in the MLB behind only the Boston Red Sox. Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha coming over from San Diego has made a potent pitching combination with Brady Singer and Cole Ragans. The bats have also improved after being below average last season, where now they are in the top half of the league thanks in large part because of the play of Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez behind the plate.
The White Sox are one of the worst teams in the MLB up to this point in the season. They have a 2-14 record and come into this game on a five-game losing streak where they got swept by the Reds and lost the first game in this series. They are one of the worst teams in the MLB in hitting where only the Twins have been worse at trying to hit the ball and then they are not much better on the mound. Gavin Sheets and Yoan Moncada are two standouts on a bad offense, while the only notable pitcher in the lineup is Garrett Crochet. An expected bad season has only gotten worse for Chicago and there is not much to be looking forward to for the rest of the season.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-White Sox Odds
Kansas City Royals: -1.5 (-106)
Moneyline: -176
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-113)
Moneyline: +148
Over: 9 (-104)
Under: 9 (-118)
How to Watch Royals vs. White Sox
Time: 2:10 pm ET
TV: NBC Sports Chicago
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Royals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Royals are going with Michael Wacha to start on the mound. He's started out the season playing decent with a 1-1 record, a 4.00 ERA, and a 1.06 WHIP. Through 18 innings, he has 17 strikeouts to just four walks. He has appeared in three total games so far this season and the Royals are 1-2 in those games. Last season, Wacha was great with a 14-4 record, a 3.22 ERA, and a 1.16 WHIP. Wacha was one of two Padres pitchers that came over during the offseason and he has seen mixed results so far but gets a good opportunity against a struggling team like the White Sox.
The Royals' offense has improved from last season. They are 15th in team batting average at .245 after finishing last season with a .244 batting average overall. The steady offensive improvement is due in large part to Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. behind the plate. Perez leads the Royals in batting average at .339, is tied with Witt Jr in home runs at four, in RBI at 15, and OBP at .369. Witt Jr. then leads the team's total hits at 22. Witt Jr. will have an even bigger load to carry if Perez is not available due to a strain in his groin where he is day-to-day. The Royals just need their offense to be solid and complement an already dominant pitching staff.
Why The White Sox Will Cover The Spread/Win
The White Sox are putting Erick Fedde on the mound where he has a 0-0 record, a 4.30 ERA, and a 1.43 WHIP. Through 14.2 innings, Fedde has a 14:6 K:BB ratio so far this season. He's also allowed 15 hits, six walks, and five home runs this season. The White Sox have lost all three games he's appeared in this season and he's given up at least four hits in all three games. Last season, Fedde struggled to a 6-13 record, a 5.81 ERA, and then a 1.63 WHIP. Fedde needs to show up more for the White Sox in a spot like this with how much the team has struggled across the board.
The offense for the White Sox has been worse than the pitching, but not by much this season. The White Sox are 29th in the MLB in team batting average at .196 after having a team batting average of .238 last season where they finished 25th. Gavin Sheets leads the team in RBI at eight, in OBP at .389, and is tied for the lead in home runs at two. Finally, Yoan Moncada leads the team in batting average at .282 and then in total hits at 11. This is a bad matchup for an already struggling offense due to how improved Kansas City is on the mound.
Final Royals-White Sox Prediction & Pick
There is nothing to be excited about when it comes to the White Sox and their play this season. They have looked lifeless in every single game so far and it does not seem like it is going to get much better. The Royals have substantially improved their pitching and with Michael Wacha on the mound, it's a chance for him to get back on track after a mixed start to the season so far. The White Sox have no one on offense the Royals should be worried about and Kansas City should shut them down to an easy win even if Salvador Perez is unavailable.
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Final Royals-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Royals -1.5 (-106)
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