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The Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox will play two on Saturday, a day-night doubleheader continuing their weekend series. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Guardians-White Sox prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Cleveland is heating up along with the weather, going 7-3 in their last 10 and sitting at 47-44. The Guardians are riding the strength of their pitching staff to playoff contention.
Chicago has continued their struggles after yesterday's loss, falling below .500 and dropping their home record to a dismal 19-26.
(All records entering game one of the doubleheader)
Here are the Guardians-White Sox MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Guardians-White Sox Game 2 Odds
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-126)
Chicago White Sox: -1.5 (+104)
Over: 9 (-120)
Under: 9 (-102)
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Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
Cleveland proved this writer wrong yesterday, beating Chicago 8-2 in a game that was never really close. Konnor Pilkington, who has been on the shuttle between Cleveland and Columbus this season, will take the ball for game two tonight. Pilkington has rotated between the bullpen and rotation, struggling to a 4.84 ERA in his eight starts. Still, Chicago has not impacted the ball to the best of their potential, so Pilkington may just lower that mark. Given the wide margin of victory in yesterday's contest, much of Cleveland's loaded bullpen is rested, namely Eli Morgan (2.83 ERA) and Emmanuel Clase (1.41 ERA, 19 saves).
Cleveland's bats broke out in a big way last night, totaling 15 hits and eight runs. A total of five Guardians recorded multiple hits, including Steven Kwan knocking three base hits and crossing home plate twice. Momentum is a fickle thing, but in this case, Cleveland has all the momentum in this series. Cleveland only struck out five times despite Chicago throwing their arguable ace Lucas Giolito. Cleveland gets it done in different ways than is the norm currently, relying on contact and speed to score more runs than the other team. Yasmani Grandal, the likely game-two catcher, has only thrown out 20% of his base runners.
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
Well, things can not go much worse than they have so far for Chicago. From viral boneheaded moves by Tony La Russa to a shocking sub-.500 record, Chicago has failed to live up to preseason hype. Lance Lynn is tasked with righting the ship in the nightcap of this one. Lynn has been miserable since his return from the Injured List, with a bloated 7.50 ERA showcasing his seven starts. On the bright side, Lynn still does not walk batters, ranking in the 85th percentile in walk rate. Lynn may benefit from a different pitch mix (different story for a different day). Still, if we assume progression to the mean, Lynn is an above-average pitcher that can be relied on.
At the plate, things need to turn around for the bottom part of Chicago's lineup. Jose Abreu, Andrew Vaughn, and Tim Anderson are the only healthy regulars approaching or eclipsing a .300 average. While those three are certainly capable of carrying a lineup, more production is needed. A down year for Yoan Moncada is unlikely to continue, and Eloy Jimenez should find his groove as he continues towards better health. Saturday night is the perfect place to start those resurgences.
Final Guardians-White Sox Prediction & Pick
Chicago burned me once, and I will not get fooled again. Yes, my fingers are crossed for Cleveland in this one.
Final Guardians-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Cleveland +1.5 (-126), over 9 (-120)
