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We're back to continue our coverage of Friday's MLB slate as we revisit this American League series for the second time this season. The Chicago White Sox will visit the Athletics as the home team leads this current series 3-0. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a White Sox-Athletics prediction and pick.
White Sox-Athletics Projected Starters
Sean Burke (RHP) vs. Luis Severino (RHP)
Sean Burke (1-3) with a 6.23 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 15 K, 21.2 IP
Last Start: (W) @ BOS – 5.0 IP, 5 K, 1 ER
Away Splits: (0-1) with a 4.50 ERA, .242 OBA, 9 K, 8.0 IP
Luis Severino (1-3) with a 3.31 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 22 K, 32.2 IP
Last Start: (W) @ MIL – 8.0 IP, 1 K, 1 ER
Home Splits: (0-3) with a 5.30 ERA, .243 OBA, 15 K, 18.2 IP
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Athletics Odds
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-104)
Moneyline: +194
Athletics: -1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -235
Over: 9 (-114)
Under: 9 (-106)
How to Watch White Sox vs. Athletics
Time: 10:05 p.m. ET/ 7:05 p.m. PT
TV: Chicago Sports Network, NBC Sports California, MLB.TV
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The White Sox Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Chicago White Sox are currently last in the American League Central and with just five wins on the season thus far, they're projected to end the year near the bottom of MLB's overall standings. They've gone just 1-9 over their last 10 games and were swept by the Athletics 3-0 during that stretch. They were outscored 23-4 during that series and they'll be hard-pressed to display a better performance against one of the league's bottom teams from a year ago.
The White Sox currently rank 28th league-wide with 75 runs under their belt. Their leading home-run hitter, Andrew Benintendi, has smashed just four on the season while the rest of his team continues to lag behind. They'll need to certainly dig deep for more run production, but it'll come at a tall order having to face Luis Severino during this particular matchup.
The White Sox will send Sean Burke to the mound in hopes of quieting this potent Athletics lineup at the moment. While he's been allowing lopsided runs during his last few starts, his last showing with five strikeouts and only one earned run was certainly promising and should give him some confidence in searching for his team's first win over the A's.
Why The Athletics Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Athletics are currently last in the American League West race, but they're just two games below .500 and already seeing a massive improvement from their mark a year ago. They rank seventh in batting average (.252) and fourth in slugging (.435), so they're already seeing massive improvements from seasons past as they're putting forth a potent offense. They went on a rampage the last time their faced the White Sox, so expect much of the same from this Athletics team as they breathe new life.
Lawrence Butler and Marcus Semien have both been massively productive from the batter's box and they both saw successful outings their last time out against Chicago. While they've gone just 3-8 at home this season, Luis Severino on the mound should give them a significant bump in the early stages of this game. If he can find his control early, the A's should be well on their way to another dominant series over the White Sox.
Final White Sox-Athletics Prediction & Pick
The White Sox are certainly struggling to find their footing this season and it seems like they're destined to finish near the bottom of the MLB rankings once again. The Athletics, on the other hand, are already on pace to have a much better season than the year prior and it could be a promising sign given their future relocation. They're fourth league-wide in slugging and even though they're struggling at home this season, they're bound to put up some lopsided runs against Chicago.
Despite neither pitcher having a great start to this season, the Athletics certainly have a small advantage with Luis Severino on the mound with his experience against the Chicago White Sox. He was also one of the league's most dominant arms just a few years ago, so expect him to return to previous form at some point of this season.
For our final prediction, we're going to roll with the Athletics to grab this win at home. The White Sox are just 1-8 on the road this year and didn't offer much resistance during their first series against the Athletics. Furthermore, the Athletics' bats have been scorching over their last five games, so expect similar success given their confidence over this particular opponent. Let's take them on their run line for added value.
Final White Sox-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Athletics -1.5 (-115)
