A Thursday evening MLB matchup between two teams desperate for a win is scheduled to take place as the Baltimore Orioles head out west to the south side of Chicago to take on the White Sox. It is about that time to check out our MLB odds series, where our Orioles-White Sox prediction and pick will be revealed.
Coming off a splendid 7-0 victory over the Nationals where the Orioles had the bats cracking and the pitching arms firing on all cylinders, Baltimore will look for a repeat performance with righty Dean Kremer getting his fourth start on the year.
After an encouraging series win at home over the Blue Jays, the White Sox showed signs of life on offense by generating 20 runs over the course of three games. With the improved offensive approach as of late, long-time starter Johnny Cueto should feel less pressure on the mound after the 36-year-old veteran tossed seven innings of shutout baseball in a 7-0 victory over the Astros.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Orioles-White Sox MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Orioles-White Sox Odds
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-146)
Chicago White Sox: -1.5 (+122)
Over: 8.5 (-120)
Under: 8.5 (-102)
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Why The Orioles Could Cover the Spread
The 2021 Orioles were about as putrid as possible during their horrendous campaign from a season ago. With a whopping 110 losses, which nearly doubled their win total, Baltimore has shown major signs of improvement as they sit with a current record of 31-39 through 70 games played in 2022.
While the Orioles are still in dead-last in one of the tougher divisions in all of professional sports, Baltimore is hopeful that they can be a tough out for opposing teams and maybe even make a run at an AL Wild Card spot if the perfect scenario presents itself.
The young but talented Dean Kremer certainly has the arsenal to shut down the White Sox attack, and is even fresh off a six-inning shutout where the 26-year-old from California was nearly un-hittable. Making his first career start against the ‘Sox, the Orioles would no doubt receive a ginormous boost if Kremer can keep Chicago on its toes.
Over the past few seasons, the O's have maintained one of the worst lineups from top to bottom in the majors. However, 2022 has seen Baltimore slowly but surely improve in nearly every hitting statistic. A prime example of this was recently in their dominating 7-0 win over Washington where the unlikely hero was Austin Hays who became the sixth Orioles player to hit for the cycle. The slugging left-fielder is experiencing a career year with a .287 average, ten home runs, and 40 RBIs.
Why The White Sox Could Cover the Spread
A slew of injuries have dampened the hopes of south side Chicago residents, but this did not stop the White Sox from taking care of business against Toronto over the past few days. Chicago's approach will be the next-man-up mentality which has become all too familiar this season. Regardless, while injuries oftentimes present the most difficult test for a team to overcome, Chicago still has the pieces to at least cover the spread at home versus Baltimore.
Chicago's best bet to cover the spread will be to be aggressive against a pitcher like Kremer who does not have a whole lot of pitching experience in his short MLB career. In comparison, the White Sox will have the likes of a savvy veteran who has pitched at the highest stage in baseball. While Cueto's best days may be behind him, Chicago should have the advantage in this department when and if they are faced with adversity this evening. In his six starts, Cueto is 1-3 with a 2.95 ERA.
Offensively, the White Sox have endured a roller coaster of emotions at the plate. They currently possess the fourth-best batting average in the entire league with a .255 mark but are only 22nd in runs scored with 287. This inconsistency could be caused by injuries, but do not be alarmed. Even with Tim Anderson and Luis Robert's availability in question heading into Thursday's matchup, Chicago still has some big bats to make the Orioles begging for mercy. With designated hitter Andrew Vaughn leading the club with a .333 average and first-baseman Jose Abreu mashing a team-high nine home runs, this Chicago lineup is not to be scoffed at.
Final Orioles-White Sox Prediction & Pick
With an 0-2 record and an 8.00 ERA in three career starts against Baltimore, the Orioles have Johnny Cueto right where they want him. Yes, he may possess an edge in experience and has pitched as long as he has in the majors for a reason, and all-around exceptional effort from Baltimore may prove to be too much for the bruise and battered White Sox to overcome.
Final Orioles-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Orioles +1.5 (-146)
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