The Chicago White Sox take on the Los Angeles Angels. Check out our MLB odds series for our White Sox Angels prediction and pick.
Lucas Giolito starts for the White Sox, while Noah Syndergaard takes the mound for the Angels.
Lucas Giolito is a credentialed pitcher. He has been the backbone and anchor of multiple pitching staffs which have helped the White Sox reach the MLB postseason. In April of this year, Giolito got off to a great start and posted a 2.57 ERA. Heading into a May 31 start against the Blue Jays, his ERA was still strong at 2.63.
In the last five starts, Giolito has been crushed. His ERA in those last five starts is over nine runs. He has allowed 27 earned runs in 25 2/3 innings pitched. He is failing in every way imaginable, too. It's not as though only one flaw is holding him back. Giolito, in these last five disastrous outings, has allowed an average of eight hits, 2.2 walks, and 1.8 home runs per game. Keep in mind that since Giolito hasn't pitched deep into those games (25 2/3 innings total), the 2.2 walks per game average translates to roughly four walks per nine innings. Hits: nearly 15 per nine innings. Home runs: nearly 3.5 per nine. Giolito has fallen off a cliff and needs a stabilizing start not only for his sake, but for the crumbling White Sox, who are battling injuries and frankly look like a broken team right now.
Noah Syndergaard has a 3.86 ERA. He has been all over the place this season. He posted a 2.12 ERA in April but then registered a 5.40 ERA in May. His June ERA is 3.50, but he has been the picture of inconsistency. Beginning with a May 9 start versus the Rays, this is how many earned runs Syndergaard has allowed in his last seven starts: 1, 4, 1, 5, 1, 1, 5. Much like Zach Eflin of the Philadelphia Phillies, Syndergaard goes from great to ordinary on a regular basis. He is consistently inconsistent. We'll see if he can develop a steadier rhythm for an Angel ballclub which needs a kick in the pants and a big push before the All-Star break.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the White Sox-Angels MLB odds.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Angels Odds
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-176)
Los Angeles Angels: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 8.5 (-120)
Under: 8.5 (-102)
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Why The White Sox Could Cover the Spread
The White Sox avoided a sweep at the hands of the Orioles on Sunday. They needed to break the ice and escape a downward slide. Now that they have managed to do that, maybe this team will hit the reset button and play better baseball. The White Sox are banged up, but they still have Luis Robert and Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu and a lot of talented players. Given the inconsistency of Noah Syndergaard, the White Sox might be able to rev up their offense in this game and start fresh in the push for a playoff spot.
Why The Angels Could Cover the Spread
After winning on Sunday in a brawl-marred game against the Angels, maybe this team rediscovered a level of passion which was missing in previous weeks. The 14-game losing streak which got Joe Maddon fired did not create a considerable sense of urgency for the Halos, who have largely drifted along in the weeks since that nosedive. However, with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the lineup, this team always has the capacity to get on a roll and thrive. Against a struggling Lucas Giolito, the Angels have to like their chances.
Final White Sox-Angels Prediction & Pick
It's a stay-away game in terms of the winner and loser, but since the White Sox and Angels have both had disappointing seasons at the plate, the under looks good. The under hit for both teams' games on Sunday, it should be noted.
Final White Sox-Angels Prediction & Pick: under 8.5
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