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The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians will square off in an AL Central matchup on Saturday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a White Sox-Guardians prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Chicago is in the midst of a three-game losing streak, sitting at 61-59 and on the outskirts of playoff contention. In reality, the team is better than expected given their run differential of -31, their expected record is 57-63. The team is teetering on the brink of disaster.
Cleveland on the other hand is in first place in the AL Central with a 64-55 record. A 7-3 record in their last 10 games, that record indicative of a scorching August that has propelled the team into first place. The pitching staff has dominated recently, sparking the strong run.
Here are the White Sox-Guardians MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Guardians Odds
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-140)
Cleveland Guardians: -1.5 (+116)
Over: 7.5 (-105)
Under: 7.5 (-115)
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
Chicago is one of the most maddening teams in the league. This roster looks like it should be one of the best teams in the league, yet injuries and underperformance have hampered the club. Johnny Cueto, who was signed to a minor-league deal at the beginning of the year, has pitched to a 2.78 ERA in his 17 appearances (16 starts). Cueto has walked just 5.4% of batters he has faced, ranking in the 86th percentile. Despite only throwing it around 15% of the time, Cueto's fastballs have held batters to a .163 batting average. Chicago's bullpen has improved slightly, and closer Liam Hendriks is rounding into form nicely. Hendriks has pitched to a 2.95 ERA with 27 saves in 42 appearances. Kendall Graveman has been a fantastic setup man, with a 2.72 ERA in 49 appearances.
At the plate, Jose Abreu is a walking inferno, hitting .520 across his last seven games. On the season, Abreu leads the team with a .308 batting average, 14 home runs, and 28 doubles, while ranking second with 57 RBI. Andrew Vaughn has been the other healthy bat in the lineup, hitting .293 with 13 home runs, and a team-leading 58 RBI. Luis Robert, battling another injury but not yet on the Injured List, has hit 12 home runs in 83 games. Chicago has hit 203 doubles, and are third in the league with a .260 batting average.
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
Cleveland's pitching is fantastic this season, and last night was no exception. Triston McKenzie twirled seven innings of two-run baseball, striking out 14 without surrendering a walk. Team ace Shane Bieber is tasked with following suit in this one, and Bieber has been great this season. Despite his velocity being down nearly 2 mph on average, Bieber has turned in a 3.18 ERA, striking out 140 in 138.2 innings. Bieber has walked just 5.2% of batters he has faced. Cleveland's bullpen has a 3.32 ERA, ranking sixth in the league, striking out 420 batters in 393 innings. Trevor Stephan has been brilliant since coming over from the Yankees in the Rule 5 draft, pitching to a 2.49 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 47 innings. James Karinchak has been unbelievable in his return from the Injured List, striking out 34 batters in 18.1 innings to go with a 1.47 ERA. Closer Emmanuel Clase has been his usual dominant self, with a 1.22 ERA and 28 saves in 54 appearances.
While pitching has been the story for this team, the offense has quietly performed as well. Their 521 runs are 16th in the league. Jose Ramirez, the now longest-tenured Guardians player, has bashed 23 home runs and 99 RBI, adding 37 doubles, all totals that pace the team. Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez have added 15 and 14 home runs respectively, the only other Guardians with double-digit home runs. Steven Kwan has been an instant success in the big leagues, with a .301 batting average and more walks than strikeouts in his rookie season. Cleveland ranks third in the league with 81 stolen bases.
Final White Sox-Guardians Prediction & Pick
Give the nod to Bieber here and look for Cleveland to stay hot.
Final White Sox-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Cleveland -1.5 (+116), under 7.5 (-115)
