The Chicago White Sox will finish their four-game series with the Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our White Sox-Royals prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The Chicago White Sox are squandering a great opportunity in this series. Losing two of the first three, Chicago is 56-55 and two and a half games out of a playoff spot. The inconsistency of this team's play has been frustrating for the entire fan base.
Kansas City is still in the depths of rebuilding, their 46-66 record is a far cry from contention. After trading some veteran stars at the deadline, Kansas City is showcasing their possible future down the stretch. Winning a series against division-rival Chicago would be a great moral victory for the club.
Here are the White Sox-Royals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Royals Odds
Chicago White Sox: -1.5 (-108)
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-113)
Over: 7.5 (-118)
Under: 7.5 (-104)
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
Chicago will send their best to the mound in this one, with Dylan Cease getting the start. Cease has been unhittable this season, with a 1.98 ERA in 22 starts, striking out 166 batters in his 122.2 innings. Batters have swung and missed at 35.8% of the pitches that Cease throws, ranking in the 86th percentile. Even more impressive, batters have managed just a .121 batting average against Cease's slider, which he throws 41.9% of the time. Chicago's bullpen has a 3.95 ERA, ranking a respectable 18th in the league. Offseason addition Kendall Graveman has been great, with a 2.64 ERA in his 46 appearances. Closer Liam Hendriks has been electric at the end of games, notching 23 saves and striking out 57 batters across 38.2 innings.
At the plate, Chicago is starting to get their fully healthy lineup back. Well, almost. Tim Anderson is set to miss at least a month with a hand injury. In his absence, the void will be filled by Lenyn Sosa, who was hitting .316 in the minor leagues this season. Jose Abreu has continued his reputation as a hitter, with a .299 average, 14 home runs and 28 doubles this season. Abreu has been the only White Sox position player to stay consistently healthy, and has helped keep the team in contention. Luis Robert and Andrew Vaughn are both healthy, and the pair have combined to hit 23 home runs. Chicago is hitting an impressive .256 which ranks fifth in the league.
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
Kansas City will send the veteran Zack Greinke to the mound this afternoon. After signing a one-year contract to reunite with his original team, Greinke has pitched to a 4.58 ERA in 18 starts. Gone are the days when Greinke could run his fastball near triple-digits, instead relying on mixing his pitches and movement to get hitters out. Greinke has struck out only 52 in 92.1 innings, but his 5.1% walk rate ranks in the 89th percentile. The bullpen behind him has struggled at times this year, but feature some bright young players. Dylan Coleman has navigated control issues to a 2.91 ERA, and closer Scott Barlow owns a 2.19 ERA to go with 17 saves.
Speaking of long-time veterans, Salvador Perez has battled injuries, only playing in 70 games. Still, Perez leads the team with 16 home runs. Perez is spending less time behind the plate, but that may save his legs enough to keep up his power production. Bobby Witt, Jr., who arrived with enormous hype, has lived up to that billing, launching 15 home runs and swiping 21 bases in his rookie year. Another heralded prospect, MJ Melendez, has seen time at catcher and in the outfield, has enjoyed a fine rookie season, with 14 home runs and a .322 on-base percentage. Melendez and Perez should form a strong catching duo in the years to come. Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Pratto, two more hyped prospects, have combined to hit 8 home runs in 209 at-bats.
Final White Sox-Royals Prediction & Pick
Hard to bet against Dylan Cease.
Final White Sox-Royals Prediction & Pick: Chicago -1.5 (-108), over 7.5 (-118)
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