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The Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers will square off in a weekend series at Comerica Park in Detroit this weekend. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a White Sox-Tigers prediction and pick, laid out below.
The Chicago White Sox are 74-71 on the season, sitting in second place in the AL Central, just four games out of first place. Chicago has been red hot since manager Tony LaRussa has taken a medical leave of absence. The only issue is that Cleveland does not lose anymore, as they have gone 8-2 in their last ten games.
Detroit has been written off this season, sitting in last place in the AL Central with a 55-89 record, officially eliminated from playoff contention. Things have not gone as expected for this club, as the prospects that were supposed to signal the end of the rebuild have seemed to regress a bit.
Here are the White Sox-Tigers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Tigers Odds
Chicago White Sox: -1.5 (+106)
Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (-128)
Over: 8 (-112)
Under: 8 (-108)
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
Chicago will send veteran Johnny Cueto to the mound in this one. Cueto has gone 7-8 this season, with a 3.09 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 139.2 innings across 22 appearances (21 starts). The righty has walked just 5.4 percent of the batters he has faced, which ranks in the 86th percentile in the league. Batters are hitting just .216 against Cueto's changeup.
Chicago's solid bullpen is bolstered by setup man Kendall Graveman. Graveman, who has signed as a free agent this offseason, has pitched to a 2.72 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 59.2 innings. Graveman generates a ton of ground balls, racking them up at a 54.4 percent clip, ten percent higher than the league average. Closer Liam Hendriks has been solid, with a 3.14 ERA, 33 saves, and 74 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. Hendriks has struck out 35.1 percent of the batters he has faced, which ranks in the 97th percentile in the league.
Chicago's offense is finally healthy, with all the important pieces falling into place with less than a month's of play. Andrew Vaughn leads the team with 16 home runs, ranking second with a .287 batting average, 28 doubles, and 69 RBI. First baseman Jose Abreu has been the most consistent performer in the lineup, playing in 143 of the team's 145 games. Abreu ranks first on the team with 71 RBI, 35 doubles, and a .312 batting average, ranking second with 15 home runs. Eloy Jimenez has belted 13 home runs in just 70 games, hitting .310. Luis Robert has hit 12 home runs with 10 stolen bases in 95 games. Chicago leads the league with a .261 batting average.
Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
Detroit will tab Eduardo Rodriguez as tonight's starting pitcher. Rodriguez has endured a controversial season, leaving the team for months to deal with some personal issues. In his 13 starts with the club, Rodriguez has pitched to a 4.50 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 66 innings.
Detroit's bullpen ranks ninth in the league with a 3.45 ERA, striking out 529 batters across 546 innings. Lefty Andrew Chafin, in his first season with the club, has pitched to a 3.12 with 57 strikeouts in 49 innings. Alex Lange owns a 3.90 ERA with an impressive 77 strikeouts in 55.1 innings. Lange leads the team with 62 appearances. Joe Jimenez is second on the team with 61 appearances, pitching to a 3.21 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 56 innings. Hard-throwing closer Gregory Soto has saved 25 games with a 3.40 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 53 innings.
Detroit's offense has cratered, with little to no power being produced. Javier Baez, the $100 million shortstop, has hit just .238, with 13 home runs that tie for the team lead in that category. Baez also leads with 26 doubles and 56 RBI. Jeimer Candelario also has 13 home runs, adding 15 doubles. Eric Haase and Jonathan Schoop are the other Tigers' double-digit home runs, as Haase has hit 12 and Schoop has 10. Detroit ranks last in the league with 91 home runs, the only team with less than 100.
Final White Sox-Tigers Prediction & Pick
Detroit is just overmatched, and do not expect much offense in this one.
Final White Sox-Tigers Prediction & Pick: Chicago -1.5 (+102), under 8 (-108)
