Subscribe
Follow Us
The Angels start the season in Chicago against the White Sox! The Angels can make a statement against the White Sox on Opening Day! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with an Angels-White Sox prediction and pick.
The Angels struggled last season toward a 63-99. The offense struggled, finishing 28th in batting average last season, and the pitching has not been much better, either. Taylor Ward, Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe, Mike Trout, Kenley Jansen, and Jorge Soler should help this offense improve from how bad they were last year, especially after some of the injuries the Angels dealt with. On the mound, Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano, and Tyler Anderson should tighten up a pitching rotation that badly needs help. The Angels have the talent to be better than last season, but it remains to be seen if they can put it all together.
The White Sox were the worst team in the MLB and potentially one of the worst teams in MLB history, and they finished with a 41-121 record. They were dead last in offense behind the plate and barely better on the mound. Andrew Vaughn, Andrew Benintendi, and Luis Robert Jr. are fine on offense. The pitching staff underwent a giant makeover in the offseason. Sean Burke and Martin Perez are key for injecting life into a pitching staff that desperately needs help. Chicago needs a win to have a completely fresh start this season.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Angels-White Sox Odds
Los Angeles Angels: -1.5 (+114)
Moneyline: -158
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-134)
Moneyline: +134
Over: 7.5 (-122)
Under: 7.5 (+100)
How to Watch Angels vs. White Sox
Time: 4:10 pm ET/1:10 pm PT
TV: Chicago Sports Network/FanDuel Sports Network Southwest
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Angels Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Angels are starting Yusei Kikuchi on the mound in this game. He had a 9-10 record last season on two different teams. He started the year with a 4.75 ERA and had a 1.34 WHIP, but then he had a 2.75 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP after joining the Astros. With the Blue Jays, Kikuchi had a 4.3 K/BB ratio and allowed 63 runs on 125 hits through 347 innings. With the Astros, he had a 5.4 K/BB ratio and allowed 22 runs on 42 hits through 180 innings. This is an excellent matchup against a bad White Sox offense for the Angels.
The Angels' offense struggled last season. They were 28th in team batting average at .229. Nolan Schanuel led the offense. Taylor Ward and Zach Neto are in most batting categories. Schanuel led the team in batting average at .250 and OBP at .343. This offense struggled last season, but they should be better this year. They dealt with many injuries, and after being healthy coming into this season, they should be much better based on that alone. This offense gets an intriguing matchup against the White Sox and rookie starting pitcher Sean Burke.
Why The White Sox Will Cover The Spread/Win
The White Sox are starting Sean Burke on the mound in this matchup. He has a 2-0 record, a 1.42 ERA, and a 1.00 WHIP. He has allowed four runs on 12 hits through 57 innings. He also has a K/BB ratio of 3.1. Burke is a rookie with great potential and has already showcased his potential in spring training. This is an excellent matchup for Burke against an Angels offense that has struggled heading into this season.
The offense for the White Sox was awful. The White Sox were dead last in the MLB in team batting average at .221. Andrew Vaughn and Benintendi led most batting categories the previous season. Vaughn led in batting average at .246, in RBI at 70, in OBP at .297, and in total hits with 140. Then, Benintendi led the team in home runs with 20 last season. The White Sox should be better on offense, but it remains to be seen by how much. This is an intriguing matchup for Kikuchi because he has the advantage coming into this game.
Final Angels-White Sox Prediction & Pick
These two teams have a lot to prove this year. The Angels are the better team and should win this game on the road in Chicago. However, I think both offenses will struggle, and in that case, I take the White Sox to cover at home, but the Angels still win outright.
Final Angels-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Chicago White Sox +1.5 (-134)
