The Chicago White Sox will take on the Houston Astros on Friday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a White Sox-Astros prediction and pick.
Before the season started, this looked like it would be one of the most exciting series of the year. However, the White Sox have been one of the most disappointing teams in the MLB, earning a measly 30-31 record. Many expected Chicago to win their division with ease, but that clearly hasn't been the case so far. The same can't be said for the Astros, who have had another fantastic season so far. Houston is 39-24, a record that has given them a stranglehold on the AL West. They'll look to expand their divisional lead here against a potentially dangerous White Sox team.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the White Sox-Astros MLB odds.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Astros Odds
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-154)
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+128)
Over: 8 (-106)
Under: 8 (-114)
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Why The White Sox Could Cover the Spread
The White Sox are lucky to have starter Lucas Giolito on the mound for this series opener. Giolito has been one of Chicago's best arms, earning a 3.88 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP on the year. Giolito's career history against the Astros is another encouraging factor here. Over the course of his career, the righty has thrown two complete games against Houston, with one of those contests being a complete-game shutout. It's clear that Giolito is more than comfortable facing this team, and that should show once again in this contest.
The Astros will have a pretty good arm on the mound themselves. Framber Valdez has been nothing short of elite this season, but the White Sox have a distinct advantage over him. For the last two years, Chicago has absolutely destroyed left-handed pitching, and this game is no different. The White Sox currently hit .296 against lefties while earning a ridiculous .837 OPS against them. Those numbers are far and away better than Chicago's stats against righties, showing just how much they like matching up with southpaws. Despite his overall success, it's easy to see Valdez struggling in this matchup.
Why The Astros Could Cover the Spread
While Giolito has been one of Chicago's best pitchers, there's reason to believe the Astros can get to him in this matchup. His last seven outings have been poor at best, as he's earned a 4.35 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP across them. Giolito has also been a far worse pitcher on the road, as he sees a rise in ERA, WHIP, and batting average allowed every time he plays somewhere away from home. This looks like a prime opportunity for the Astros to turn things around against Giolito and put together a good offensive performance.
Home field advantage will benefit the Astros in other ways as well. Houston is a better offensive team in Minute Maid Park, earning a higher batting average, OBP, OPS, and slugging percentage when they play at home. Their pitching staff as a whole has also been far more effective on their home turf, earning better numbers across the board.
Final White Sox-Astros Prediction & Pick
The odds on both sides of the spread make each pick an unappealing one. Chicago's money line doesn't look bad, but the under is the best pick on the board. Giolito has killed the Astros in the past, and Valdez is an elite pitcher. that should be enough to keep the score low in this one.
Final White Sox-Astros Prediction & Pick: Under 8 (-114)
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