Subscribe
Follow Us
The White Sox make the trip to Cleveland to face the Guardians! These teams are headed in opposite directions with the White Sox being the worst team in the MLB, while the Guardians have been one of the best. The Guardians also won the first game in this series. Our MLB odds series has our White Sox-Guardians prediction, odds, and pick for Thursday.
White Sox-Guardians Projected Starters
Drew Thorpe vs. Ben Lively
Drew Thorpe (2-1) with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched six innings and gave up two runs on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts in a White Sox win.
2024 Road Splits: (1-1) 5.02 WHIP
Ben Lively (7-4) with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched six innings and gave up two run on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts in a Guardians loss.
2024 Home Splits: (4-0) 2.15 ERA
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Guardians Odds
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-111)
Moneyline: +188
Cleveland Guardians: -1.5 (-108)
Moneyline: -225
Over: 8.5 (-108)
Under: 8.5 (-112)
How to Watch White Sox vs. Guardians
Time: 6:40 pm ET
Article Continues Below
TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes / NBC Sports Chicago
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The White Sox Will Cover The Spread/Win
The White Sox are the worst team in the MLB. They have a 24-63 record so far this season. They have lost two straight games leading into this game. They are the second-worst team in the MLB behind the plate and are also struggling on the mound, ranking near the bottom on the mound as well. Gavin Sheets, Paul DeJong, Andrew Vaughn, and Andrew Benintendi are standouts despite how bad the offense has been. The only notable pitchers in the lineup are Erick Fedde and Garrett Crochet. They have struggled all season and do not have much hope.
The White Sox are starting Drew Thorpe on the mound in this matchup and he has a 2-1 record, a 4.43 ERA, and a 1.23 WHIP. He has allowed 12 runs on 13 hits with 12 walks and 13 strikeouts through 20.1 innings. In his four starts this season, the White Sox are 2-2. Thorpe has been solid after being called up to help the White Sox on the mound. He gets an interesting matchup against a solid Guardians offense in this matchup.
The offense for the White Sox has been awful. The White Sox are second to last in the MLB in team batting average at .220 which comes after having a .238 last season. Gavin Sheets, Paul DeJong, and Andrew Vaughn lead the offense in most categories. Vaughn leads in batting average at .244, in RBI at 40, and in total hits at 74. Then, Sheets leads in OBP at .330 and DeJong in home runs at 15. They get a difficult matchup on the mound in this game against Ben Lively for the Guardians. He has been great in Cleveland this season.
Why The Guardians Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Guardians have had a great season with a 53-30 heading into this series. They have won two out of their last three games leading into this matchup. Their bats are just outside the top 10, while their pitching has been a top-10 staff all year. Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez, Andres Gimenez, Tyler Freeman, and Josh Naylor have carried the Guardians on offense. Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively have held down the fort in the pitching staff despite Shane Bieber getting Tommy John Surgery. They have been one of the best teams in the MLB this season, not just in the AL.
The Guardians are starting Ben Lively for the first time this season on the mound. He has a 7-4 record, a 3.03 ERA, and a 1.16 WHIP. Lively allowed 24 runs on 62 hits with 21 walks and 61 strikeouts through 71.1 innings. In his 13 starts, the Guardians were 8-5 in those games. Lively has been great on the mound and gets a favorable matchup against the White Sox with how much they have struggled behind the plate.
The Guardians are a talented team behind the plate and it seems like they are finally showing it. They are 13th in team batting average at .245 after finishing last season at .259. The offense is led by Jose Ramirez in almost every batting category. Ramirez leads the way in batting average at .276, in home runs at 23, in RBI at 76, in OBP at .329, and in hits at 89. This offense has talent and has shown flashes, but they get an interesting matchup against Thorpe for the White Sox who has been inconsistent in a limited capacity on the mound.
Final White Sox-Guardians Prediction & Pick
The White Sox are the worst team in the MLB and already lost the first game in this series. The Guardians have the advantage on the mound with Lively over Thorpe because Lively has been more consistent. The Guardians also clearly have the offensive advantage behind the plate. The Guardians should win and cover at home in this game.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final White Sox-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Guardians -1.5 (-108)
