The Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles will square off for the second of a three-game series on Wednesday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a White Sox-Orioles prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Chicago is on the brink of a lost season, with their 62-61 record good for third place in the AL Central. Chicago is four games out in the division, and five games behind in the Wild Card race. A 5-5 record in their last 10, including a two-game skid, has allowed for other teams in the playoff race to surpass the group.
Baltimore is hanging on to the strings of playoff contention at 64-58. The team is in fourth place in the AL East, and are just two and a half games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. The feel-good story of the 2022 Baltimore Orioles may be coming to an end here, but what a run it has been.
Here are the White Sox-Orioles MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Orioles Odds
Chicago White Sox: -1.5 (+136)
Baltimore Orioles: +1.5 (-164)
Over: 8.5 (-102)
Under: 8.5 (-120)
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
We have been saying this all season, but when Chicago puts it all together, things are gonna get scary. Unfortunately for the South Side, the team has yet to put it all together. Tonight's starting pitcher is Lucas Giolito, yet another example that embodies the struggle of the season for Chicago. Giolito enjoyed a three-year run of success from 2019-2021, but 2022 has been a considerable downturn from that level of production. Giolito has limped to a 9-7 record with a 5.34 ERA. You have to go all the way back to 2018 to find the last season that Giolito's ERA was above 4.00.
Giolito has run into a stretch of bad luck, as his expected era is 4.20. Giolito's velocity is down about a mile an hour across the board, which would explain the hike in batted ball success against his offerings. Batters have hit .284 against Giolito's fastball, which is actually the lowest batting average for all his pitches. Chicago's bullpen is below-average, ranking 22nd with a 4.15 ERA. Setup man Kendall Graveman has lived up to his lucrative contract from the offseason, with a 2.66 ERA across 50 appearances. Closer Liam Hendriks has pitched to a 2.93 ERA with 28 saves in 43 appearances.
At the plate, Jose Abreu has been the most consistent, performance and health-wise, White Sox. Abreu leads the team with 14 home runs and a .310 batting average, ranking second with 58 RBI. Andrew Vaughn and AJ Pollock are the only other players with at least 95 games played, with Vaughn enjoying more success than Pollock. Vaughn leads the team with 60 RBI, adding 13 home runs, 22 doubles, and a .293 batting average. Luis Robert is healthy again, finally, and raking. In his last 30 games, Robert has bashed 5 home runs and 20 RBI with a slash line of .327/.372/.540. On the season, Robert has hit .305 with 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases.
Why The Orioles Could Cover The Spread
The clock is approaching midnight on the Cinderella Orioles. Still, what an entertaining team to watch. Newly minted closer Felix Bautista has fully embraced Baltimore, entering games to the Omar whistle from HBO's The Wire. Bautista is just as menacing as Omar, touching 103 mph with his fastball, and held batters to a measly 1.68 ERA in his 55 appearances. Spenser Watkins will toe the slab tonight, bringing a 4.04 ERA in his 17 appearances.
Watkins has pitched to a 3.41 ERA in his last seven appearances. The 2022 season is a rebound from a brutal 2021 season in which Watkins pitched to an unsightly 8.07 ERA. Baltimore's bullpen has continued its shine all season, with a 3.16 ERA that ranks fourth in the league. In addition to Bautista, multiple relievers have shouldered the load this season. Keegan Aiken (2.60 ERA in 65.2 innings), Dillon Tate (2.61 ERA in 58.2 innings), and Cionel Perez (1.66 ERA in 51 appearances) have been brilliant.
Baltimore's lineup has endured the loss of Trey Mancini quite admirably. Anthony Santander has picked up the slack left by Mancini, with 21 home runs and 68 RBI to pace the team. Ryan Mountcastle has added 18 home runs and 24 doubles. Austin Hays leads the team with 29 doubles, adding 13 home runs. Cedric Mullins has hit 28 doubles of his own, with 11 home runs and 25 stolen bases. Jorge Mateo paces the team with 28 stolen bases and has added 12 home runs and 19 doubles. Baltimore is sixth in the league with 221 doubles and is tied for tenth with 73 stolen bases.
Final White Sox-Orioles Prediction & Pick
It's not quite midnight for Cinderella.
Final White Sox-Orioles Prediction & Pick: Baltimore +1.5 (-164), over 8.5 (-102)
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