The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox will face off in the second of their three-game series Saturday in Chicago. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Diamondbacks-White Sox prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have struggled to a 57-67 record in 2022. Given the fact that they share a division with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the playoffs are a distant thought. Arizona has gone 4-6 in their last 10 games, further pushing them out of playoff contention.
Chicago has been awful of late, with their record at 63-63. The team has gone 3-7 in their last 10, now four games out in the AL Central, and six games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. Injuries and inconsistent pitching have been the downfall of this team.
Here are the Diamondbacks-White Sox MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Diamondbacks-White Sox Odds
Arizona Diamondbacks: -1.5 (+142)
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-172)
Over: 8 (-108)
Under: 8(-112)
Why The Diamondbacks Could Cover The Spread
Arizona has an interesting young group of hitters, but their offense is led by Christian Walker. Walker has slugged 30 home runs, 72 RBI, and registered 58 walks, all of which lead the team. Daulton Varsho has added 18 home runs and 18 doubles. Ketel Marte, the switch-hitting second baseman, has a team-leading 30 doubles to go with 10 home runs. Josh Rojas paces the team with 17 stolen bases, adding 20 doubles and seven home runs. Despite the fourth-lowest team batting average, Arizona is seventh with 430 walks. With the losing season and the playoffs out of sight, Arizona is giving a lot of playing time to younger players. Alek Thomas, the local Chicago kid, has played in 91 games this season as a rookie, hitting 14 doubles and 8 home runs.
Merrill Kelly is tonight's starting pitcher, bringing a 2.87 ERA in 25 starts. Kelly and Zac Gallen are easily the top pitchers in this Arizona rotation. Kelly uses a four-pitch mix, mostly fastball, and changeup, to baffle opposing hitters. Batters have not hit higher than .245 against any of Kelly's pitches. Kelly is enjoying the best season of his career, thanks in part to his ability to limit hard contact. Only 34.9% of batted balls hit against Kelly have been classified as hard hit, ranking in the 75th percentile. Despite overall terrible numbers, Arizona's bullpen has some strong aspects. Journeyman lefty Joe Mantiply has pitched to a 2.66 ERA in 56 innings. Mantiply has only walked 4 batters in 50.2 innings. Veteran Ian Kennedy has pitched to a 3.27 ERA in 46 games, registering 8 saves.
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
Chicago's lineup has been bolstered by the return of Luis Robert recently. Robert has hit 12 home runs and stolen 11 bases, hitting .300 in just 88 games. Jose Abreu has led the offense all year and has been the only healthy position player in the lineup. Abreu has hit 14 home runs and 29 doubles with a .307 batting average, all totals that pace the team. Andrew Vaughn is tied with Abreu for the team lead with 14 home runs and leads the team with 61 RBI. Vaughn has hit .294 with 20 doubles as well. Chicago ranks fourth in the league with a .259 batting average. Chicago also has only struck out 972 times, the sixth-lowest total in the league.
Davis Martin will make his ninth appearance this season tonight. Martin has gone 2-3 with a 4.25 ERA on the season. Martin has been slightly better as a starter, with a 4.05 ERA in his four starts, compared to a 4.50 ERA in his four relief appearances. Batters are hitting just .196 against Martin's slider, which he throws nearly 35% of the time, accounting for 15 of his 26 strikeouts. The bullpen has a 4.09 ERA, which ranks 2oth in the league. Setup man Kendall Graveman has been great, with a 2.58 ERA in 51 appearances. Reynaldo Lopez has converted to the bullpen, with a 3.08 ERA in his 45 appearances this season. Closer Liam Hendriks has been solid as well, with a 3.20 ERA and 28 saves in 45 innings. Hendriks has struck out 66 in those 45 innings. Hendriks ranks in the 98th percentile with a 35.9% strikeout rate. Batters are basically hapless against Hendriks' slider, hitting .122 against the offering.
Final Diamondbacks-White Sox Prediction & Pick
I'll give the nod to Kelly in this one.
Final Diamondbacks-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Arizona -1.5 (+142), over 8 (-108)
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