The Chicago White Sox take on the Texas Rangers. Check out our MLB odds series for our White Sox Rangers prediction and pick.

Johnny Cueto takes the bump for the White Sox, while Cole Ragans goes to the hill for the Rangers.

Johnny Cueto has a 2.86 ERA. In a four-start sequence in late May and early June, Cueto allowed 14 earned runs in 23 2/3 innings. That was his worst four-start sequence of the year. Since then, he has been superb. His July ERA was just 2.12. In his most recent start, he pitched seven strong innings against the A's on July 30, allowing two solo home runs and nothing more. He is giving the White Sox what they need as they try to win the American League Central Division or snag the third and final wild card spot in the American League.

Cole Ragans is making his major-league debut for the Rangers. He is one of the team's top-30 prospects and is getting a chance to prove himself here, with Texas clearly removed from the postseason hunt. The Rangers need to spend August and September developing younger players for next year. Ragans is definitely part of that process, and he should be. Texas has signed big-name veterans Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. Building around them with younger players is part of the Rangers' long-term plan. Ragans' main job is not to win — not right now — but to learn and develop so that when the 2023 season begins, he'll have a much better understanding of how to do his job. Then the Rangers will need him to win, but this is on-the-job training on Thursday night against the White Sox.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the White Sox-Rangers MLB odds.

MLB Odds: White Sox-Rangers Odds

Chicago White Sox: -1.5 (+125)

Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-150)

Over: 9 (-106)

Under: 9 (-114)

Why The White Sox Could Cover the Spread

Jose Abreu has a .345 batting average since June 1, the second-best average over the past two months in Major League Baseball. He and the White Sox played two really good games against the Royals on Tuesday and Wednesday after losing 2-1 to Kansas City on Monday. The White Sox have been one of the most frustrating and disappointing teams in the big leagues this year, but they come to Arlington knowing they're right in the middle of the division race and the wild card hunt. They still have everything to play for, and they still have a very legitimate chance of making the playoffs.

They're going up against a Ranger team which just got swept at home by the Orioles and has not played well in the second half of the season. Texas is sending a minor-league prospect to the mound for his MLB debut, while Chicago has a proven starter, Johnny Cueto, on the hill. The White Sox have to love the pitching matchup here.

Why The Rangers Could Cover the Spread

Corey Seager has a .366 average, four home runs, and two doubles in his career against Johnny Cueto. That's more home runs than Seager has hit against any other pitcher. This is a great reason to think the Rangers can score several runs against the White Sox. Cole Ragans is a complete unknown. It could mean he will get shelled, but it could also mean the White Sox' hitters won't know how to attack him, since they don't have a lot of game tape on him. The White Sox have been a surprisingly bad hitting team in 2022, so a bad performance here could certainly emerge.

Final White Sox-Rangers Prediction & Pick

If you want to trust the White Sox, that's you choice. Sure, they have the advantage against a youngster making his big-league debut, but this is best viewed as a stay-away game. If you insist on a pick, take the White Sox, but staying away is the best move.

Final White Sox-Rangers Prediction & Pick: White Sox -1.5