Subscribe
Follow Us
The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals will begin a four-game series on Monday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a White Sox-Royals prediction and pick.
The Royals have won their last five games, with most of their victories coming by multiple runs. It's strange to say, but Kansas City is one of the hotter teams in MLB. The White Sox recently belonged in that category, but they've cooled off as of late.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the lines for Monday night's game.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Royals Odds
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Chicago White Sox ML (-118)
Kansas City Royals ML (+108)
Over 9 1/2 runs (-118)
Under 9 1/2 runs (-102)
Why The White Sox Could Win
Chicago is one of the best offensive teams in baseball. The White Sox rank inside the top 10 in the league in batting average, OBP, OPS, and slugging percentage. They also rank in the top 10 in hits, RBI, and runs. None of this bodes well for Kansas City starter Mike Minor.
Minor has had a pretty rough season for the Royals. He owns a 5.45 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP on the year, with both of those numbers getting even worse in his last seven starts. Minor's ERA jumps to 7.28 in that span, with his WHIP also skyrocketing to 1.59. Those numbers are atrocious, so the White Sox are primed for fireworks on offense.
There are a couple more factors going Chicago's way in this one. Minor is a left-handed pitcher, and the White Sox love lefties. They sport a higher team batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS against southpaws. This is a terrible matchup for Minor through and through.
To make matters even better for the White Sox, left fielder Eloy Jimenez is expected to come off the IL for Monday's game. Jimenez's power bat will make Chicago's lineup even more deadly than it already is.
Why The Royals Could Win
The Kansas City offense has been red-hot lately. They've scored more than four runs in seven of their last 10 games, including all five of their consecutive victories. The Royals actually rank inside the top 10 in the league in batting average, something that nobody expected. Kansas City has a chance to stay hot against White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel.
Keuchel has been solid this year, but his numbers show that he's far from untouchable. The former Houston Astro owns a 4.22 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP on the season. Fortunately for the Royals, Keuchel's numbers are significantly worse when he pitches on the road. When Keuchel's away from home, his ERA leaps to 4.73 with his WHIP following close behind at 1.53. Kansas City has a perfect opportunity to ding Keuchel early at Kauffman Stadium.
It helps that the Royals hit left-handed pitching pretty well. Their team batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS all rise when they get to face a lefty.
Final White Sox-Royals Prediction & Pick
This game should be a close one, but the White Sox have the edge in most categories. Keuchel is a much better pitcher than Minor, and I don't see Minor pitching well against one of the best lineups in the MLB. Although it should come down to the wire, Chicago should be able to pull out a victory in a high-scoring contest.
FINAL PICK: Chicago White Sox ML (-118)
