The Kansas City Royals (14-31) visit the Chicago White Sox (16-29) for the first of a three-game series. First pitch commences Friday at 8:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Royals-White Sox prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Royals-White Sox MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Royals-White Sox Odds
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-176)
Chicago White Sox: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 9 (-112)
Under: 9 (-108)
How To Watch Royals vs. White Sox
TV: Bally Sports, Root Sports
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET/ 5:10 p.m. PT
*See how to watch Royals-White Sox LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 5-5 (Fifth in the AL Central)
Run Line Record: 17-28 (38%)
Over Record: 21-22-2 (49%)
Kansas City sits in the cellar of arguably the worst division in baseball. That said, they have shown signs of life this month with two series wins in their last three tries. That includes their most recent 2-1 series win in San Diego against the Padres. That said, they still rank unfavorably on both sides of the plate. The Royals rank 24th in runs and 28th in ERA. Consequently, they need to pick things up on both sides of the diamond if they want to cover as road underdogs tonight.
Veteran Zack Greinke (1-4) makes his 10th start of the season for the Royals tonight. The former Cy Young winner is no longer the dominant, front-end starter he once was, but he remains a formidable option and is fully capable of propelling his team to victory. For the season, Greinke holds a subpar .501 but his 1.24 WHIP marks a nice improvement from last season. Greinke's strikeout numbers are also up from last year although his 6.2 K/9 is nothing to write home about. That said, he settled down over his last three starts after a rough opening month. Through three May starts, he holds a stellar 2.87 ERA. Additionally, he already pitched against the White Sox this season. Earlier this month he held the White Sox to three earned runs in 5.2 innings of work. Although he isn't the pitcher he once was, Greinke is more than capable of giving Kansas City 5-6 solid innings of work.
Despite their poor hitting stats, the Royals have begun to flip the script this month. Since May 1st, the Royals rank sixth across the entire league in runs. That lines right up with an uptick in production from star catcher Salvador Perez. The 33-year-old slugger batted just .268 last month but has revved that up to .361 in May. His power strike finally reared its head as well with six bombs over that span.
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 4-6 (Fourth in the AL Central)
Run Line Record: 22-23 (49%)
Over Record: 23-19-3 (55%)
The White Sox have slowly begun to turn things around after an abysmal first month of the season. After going 7-20 last month, they've maintained an 8-8 record in May. While that isn't anything to write home about, they are coming off a huge series win against the Guardians. Chicago boasts a talented roster across the board and they certainly roster the personal to make a run in a weak AL Central. Consequently, expect a focused White Sox team tonight after they dropped 3/4 in Kansas City last week.
Former top prospect Michael Kopech (1-4) makes his ninth start of the season for the White Sox tonight. Kopech showed signs of being a formidable big-league starter last season thanks to his 3.54 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. He's struggled thus far in 2023, however, and currently owns a 5.74 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. However, his strikeout numbers remain strong thanks to his 8.7 K/9. Additionally, Kopech seems to have settled in after a rough April. In three May starts, the righty holds a 3.78 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched. That said, he struggled mightily against the Royals last season. In three starts, he allowed eight runs in just 12 innings pitched. However, he did pitch well against them at home – perhaps providing White Sox backers with some confidence heading into tonight's start.
Chicago's recent turnaround coincides almost directly with the enhanced play of Luis Robert. The do-it-all centerfielder has struggled with injuries his entire career but there has never been any doubt about his talent. After batting just .202 over the first month of the season, he's crushing it in May. This month Robert owns a .386 batting average, seven home runs, and an astronomical 1.321 OPS. Still just 25 years old, this could very well just be the beginning of a breakout season for Robert.
Final Royals-White Sox Prediction & Pick
Although Kansas City took 3/4 against Chicago last week, I expect the White Sox to come out with vengeance tonight thanks to their improved offensive effort.
Final Royals-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Chicago White Sox -1.5 (+146)
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