The Houston Astros will try to pad their lead in the American League West by sweeping the Chicago White Sox in this series at Minute Maid Park. The White Sox could challenge the 2003 Detroit Tigers for the worst record of the 164-game schedule era, as they are 14 wins short of the Tigers with just 42 games remaining. The White Sox looked good at times against the New York Yankees this past week, but couldn't pull off another upset after winning the opener. The Astros are on the opposite end, winning nine in a row on their road trip. The Astros won two of three games against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field earlier this season. An interesting trend from this matchup is that the total has gone under convincingly in six straight games. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a White Sox-Astros prediction and pick.
White Sox-Astros Projected Starters
Garrett Crochet vs. Spencer Arrighetti
Garrett Crochet (6-9) with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP.
Last Start: @ Red Sox, 7 IP, 13 SO, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 2 HR
2024 Road Splits: (2-3) with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP.
Spencer Arrighetti
(5-10) with a 5.14 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP.
Last Start: @ Red Sox, 7 IP, 13 SO, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 2 HR
2024 Home Splits: (2-6) with a 6.09 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Astros Odds
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-130)
Moneyline: +180
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+108)
Moneyline: -215
Over: 7.5 (-118)
Under: 7.5 (-104)
How to Watch White Sox vs. Astros
Time: 8:10 PM ET/5:10 PM PT
TV: NBC Sports Chicago, SCHN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The White Sox Will Cover The Spread/Win
The White Sox have a distinct route to winning this game, but it won't be easy. Garrett Crochet gives them the best chance every five days but the team is cautious with his pitch count as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The lefty must keep his pitch count low and avoid the bullpen for as long as possible if the White Sox want to hold on in this game.
Why The Astros Will Cover The Spread/Win
Crochet may not hold as much of an advantage as you think, allowing seven earned runs in 2 1/3 innings in his last start. Spencer Arrighetti is no slouch, allowing just three earned runs over his past 13 innings. He can go toe-to-toe with Crochet and turn the game into a battle of the bullpens which the Astros will win by a landslide. The Astros bullpen has a 3.28 ERA this season and has been even better over their last three games with a 2.45 mark.
Final White Sox-Astros Prediction & Pick
It's hard to believe we're getting the Astros to win by two or more runs plus money in this matchup. Crochet is a concern, but the White Sox-Yankees series taught us that it doesn't matter how good the White Sox starter performs. The White Sox looked good against the Yankees, holding leads or staying tied midway through games. However, their bullpen crumbled in two straight games, including the 10-2 blowout. Don't panic if the White Sox are leading once Crochet leaves the game, as there's a solid chance the Astros can find their way back.
The White Sox have also been cautious with Crochet's pitch count, which means we may see the bullpen sooner than usual.
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Final White Sox-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5 (+108)