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The Tampa Bay Rays will try to avoid the sweep as they take on the Chicago White Sox in the finale of a three-game series on the Southside. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Rays-White Sox prediction and pick.
The White Sox defeated the Rays 3-2 on Saturday afternoon. It was the second day in a row the Sox beat the Rays by that exact score. Now, Chicago looks to sweep the three-game series.
The game was scoreless going into the bottom of the fourth. Jose Abreu came up to the plate ready to change that. He whacked a 79 MPH 1-1 curveball from Corey Kluber to deep left for a solo home run. It was his first of the season, and it gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead. Later, Manuel Margot knotted the game up with an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning. Then, Yasmani Grandal answered in the bottom half with an RBI single of his own, putting the Sox up 2-1. After tacking on a third run, Chicago held on for the win.
Kluber lasted five innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits. Ryan Thompson gave up the eventual game-winning RBI. Meanwhile, Michael Kopech went five innings, allowing no earned runs and one hit for a no-decision. Reynaldo Lopez gave up the game-tying run but took the win after Chicago retook the lead. Finally, Liam Hendricks shut the door in the ninth for the save. The Rays are 4-5 and in fourth place in the AL East. Likewise, the White Sox 6-2 and in first place in the AL Central.
Courtesy of FanDuel here are the Rays-White Sox MLB odds:
MLB Odds: Rays-White Sox
Rays: -1.5 (+176)
White Sox: +1.5 (-215)
Over: 8.5 (-110)
Under: 8.5 (-110)
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Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
Tampa Bay will go with the ‘Opener' format that they made famous. This could go well or spectacularly awful. J.P. Feyereisen will take the mound in the first inning to open the game. Then, Tommy Romero will enter the game in the second inning to throw several innings. Tampa Bay is going back to this method because Romero struggled in his first career start. He allowed three earned runs and walked five batters in 1 2/3 innings. The Rays hope this might help him adjust to the hitters at the plate.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay bats have struggled in this series. The Rays mustered two runs in each game against the Sox. Randy Arozarena has gone 1 for 7 from the plate in the series and is batting .167 in 2022. This is surprising because the Rays are 11th in the majors in runs scored. Now, Tampa Bay must relearn the magic touch as they face veteran pitcher Vince Velasquez. They need to rattle him early to help their own pitchers gain comfort. Also, the Rays must capitalize on their opportunities. On Saturday, they left seven runners on base. If Tampa Bay scores half of them in, they win that game.
The pitching staff has excelled throughout the series. Ultimately, the Rays must figure out how to get runners home and Arozarena must break out of his slump. Lastly, they must force the Sox to go to the bullpen early. Tampa Bay can accomplish this by being patient at the plate and connecting on the correct pitches.
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
Chicago will go with Vince Velasquez. He had an okay first start, as he allowed one earned run on two hits over four innings. Now, the White Sox expect more out of him. Velasquez has been on three teams in his career and has not always been consistent. He needs to find the strike zone and locate his pitches.
Additionally, the White Sox need Grandal and Luis Robert to contribute offensively. Abreu homered yesterday. However, his two teammates have not put all the pieces together yet. Chicago needs all their superior hitters to perform at the level they are capable of. In addition to that, the Sox desperately need production from the bottom of their order. The six through nine hitters combined to go 1 for 12 on Saturday. The Sox need more from this group, especially in moments where the game is on the line. Right now, Abreu, Grandal, and Robert are carrying the team. Can the rest of the lineup assist them?
The White Sox will cover the spread if they get a quality start from Velasquez and their top hitters excel. Lastly, they need the bottom half of their order to show up and showcase what they can do.
Final Rays-White Sox Prediction & Pick
The Rays are throwing an opener because they do not trust their starter. Meanwhile, the White Sox are putting a guy who was a fourth or fifth option on the Phillies recently. Yes, both teams have struggled to score over the series. However, this pitching matchup indicates that this might change for this finale. The winner might be in question, but there is a higher likelihood that these teams both put up runs.
Final Rays-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Over 8.5 (-110)
