The Cleveland Guardians (80-67) are set to take on divisional foe the Chicago White Sox (76-71) in the first of a pivotal three-game series. Aaron Civale (2-6) is projected to start for the Guardians, while Dylan Cease (14-7) will take the bump for the White Sox. First pitch is slated for 8:10 ET. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Guardians-White Sox prediction and pick.
Cleveland Guardians starter Aaron Civale returns from a forearm injury tonight in what will be his first start since August 28th. Despite holding a 5.40 ERA this season, Civale had been much better prior to his stint on the IL. In 21 innings pitched before the injury, Civale had amassed a 3.43 ERA and 28 strikeouts. The right-handed starter previously started the Guardians' July 13th matchup with the White Sox but lasted just 1 inning before departing with a sore right wrist. In eight career starts against the White Sox Civale is 4-3. He has a 5.00 ERA against the White Sox for his career.
For the White Sox, Cy Young hopeful Dylan Cease is slated to start his 30th game of the 2022 season. Cease has been extraordinary for the White Sox this season. The righty boasts a 14-7 record. His 2.16 ERA and 214 strikeouts are both top five in the MLB this season. Cease has made 3 starts against the Guardians this season: having gone 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA across 17 innings. The White Sox ace is coming off a 3-0 loss to the Rockies last week in a game in which he gave up 3 runs in just 5 innings.
Here are the Guardians-White Sox MLB betting odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Guardians-White Sox Odds
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-144)
Chicago White Sox: -1.5 (+120)
Over: 7.5 (-104)
Under: 7.5 (-118)
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
The Cleveland Guardians enter tonight's game in first place in the American League Central. The Guardians have been one of the feel-good stories across baseball this season, vastly outperforming their preseason expectations. Cleveland has shown no signs of slowing down of late, having won 8 of their last 10 games. For the season, Cleveland is 76-71 against the spread.
On offense, the Guardians are led by superstar third baseman Jose Ramirez. The All-Star is batting .279 this season but has amassed 28 home runs and 113 RBIs (good for 3rd in the MLB). The switch-hitter is coming off a multi-hit performance against the Twins but has struggled by his standards against the White Sox this year. In 15 games against Chicago, Ramirez has batted just .220.
Next to Ramirez in the field, shortstop Andres Gimenez has been a revelation for Cleveland this year. A key piece in the 2021 Fransico Lindor trade, Gimenez has broken out in a big way for the Guardians in 2022. The lefty is batting .298 this season and has become one of the better defensive shortstops in the American League. Gimenez has faired well against the White Sox this season, hitting .278.
The Guardians are 9-7 against the White Sox for the season and can clinch the season series with a win tonight. More pressing, though, is their status atop the AL Central. A win tonight could propel them one step closer to clinching the division.
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
The White Sox have had almost a polar opposite season to their divisional foe. Coming into the year, Chicago was the betting favorite to win the American League Central. Injuries and inconsistent pitching looked to derail yet another White Sox season. However, the south-siders have been playing well of late, winning 7 of their last 10 games. Chicago is 4 games back of Cleveland in the Central but has a prime opportunity to make up ground in game one of this three-game series.
Offensively, the White Sox have been somewhat of a juggernaut this season. Chicago leads all of baseball in team batting average at .261 and has amassed the most hits in the league by a solid margin. The White Sox are led by first baseman Jose Abreu who is 7th in the MLB with a .309 batting average. Abreu has faired well against the Guardians this season as he's batted .316 in 15 games against Cleveland.
The X-factor for the White Sox is left fielder Eloy Jimenez. Jimenez has battled injuries this season but is healthy and coming off a stellar outing against Detroit where he batted 3/4 with a home run. Jimenez has been particularly effective at home this year, batting .336. For the season, Jimenez has hit .313 in just 72 appearances. Jimenez is especially potent with runners in scoring position, having hit an astronomical .389 in such situations.
Final Guardians-White Sox Prediction & Pick
The White Sox are just 4 games back of the Guardians in the division but are running out of time to make up ground. A win in game 1 of the series would do numbers for their bid to overpass Cleveland for the playoff berth. With Chicago's ace Cease on the mound, the Sox are an easy pick in such a meaningful game.
Final Guardians-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Chicago White Sox -1.5 (+120)
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