The Chicago White Sox will take on the Cleveland Guardians facing a 2-1 hole and hoping to avoid a loss in the series. The rivalry game will get underway at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio at 7:10 PM EDT.
Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians
White Sox vs. Guardians Series Recap
Chicago won the last game 7-0 thanks to three home runs and a pitching gem from Dylan Cease.
White Sox Analysis
The White Sox entered the season as the overwhelming favorites to win the American League Central but have found the road much more turbulent than imagined.
At 42-45, they are on the verge of irrelevance in MLB standings and are just third in the division, trailing the Minnesota Twins in addition to the Guardians.
They have also not been able to kick their habit of losing consecutive games in recent weeks and will need to put together some sort of winning streak to gain any sort of traction on their playoff hopes.
White Sox Roster Breakdown
Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson have been the most consistent batters, with Abreu also claiming the team lead in home runs.
Luis Robert, meanwhile, has been the best teammate, driving in a team-high 49 RBIs for a team that otherwise has not been the best on offense.
Chicago could look to make some moves for prolific sluggers at the trade deadline, as they are missing players with explosive capability.
Lucas Giolito (5-5, 5.05 ERA) will be on the mound after giving up five earned runs in 6.2 innings against the Detroit Tigers his last time out.
Guardians Analysis
The Cleveland Guardians have managed to graduate past being one of the most popular MLB picks against the spread to being a legitimate threat to top teams, which is a step that a majority of overachievers fail to take.
At 43-43, they are far from a dominant force in the league, but they are playing above the level that they were expected to and are just 3.5 games off of the division lead.
They have also won three of their last five games and will feel confident heading into the series decider on Wednesday.
Guardians Roster Breakdown
Andres Gimenez boasts the team lead in batting average, while Jose Ramirez has been the most productive slugger, both in home runs and RBIs.
Rookie Josh Naylor has also provided high-energy moments, including a couple of late-game heroic swings of the bat.
Cleveland’s Favorable Position
Cleveland, despite being in its favorable position, is unlikely to make any huge plunges at the deadline and will likely opt to continue to focus on building for the future.
Aaron Civale (2-5, 6.28 ERA) will be on the bump coming off of a seven-inning, one-earned-run against the Royals his last time out.
MLB Injury Report for Today
Yasmandi Grandal will be held out of the game for the White Sox, while Oscar Gonzalez will miss the tie for the Guardians.
Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians Betting Preview
MLB odds today favor the White Sox by the narrowest of margins (-112 to -104), while the runline reads -1.5 (+146) to Chicago and +1.5 (-176) to Cleveland.
The run total has been set at 7.5 with (-120) odds on the over and (+100) on the under, which is a fairly low mark considering the resumes that the two starting pitchers have put together.
Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians Betting Prediction
White Sox vs. Guardians betting analysis centers on the idea that the White Sox should be the better team, but the Guardians, whether because of their:
- youthful ignorance
- resounding energy
- situational conversions
Have actually been more productive.
MLB Pick for Today
It cannot be overstated how disappointing of the first half of a season has been for a Chicago team that was supposed to cakewalk to the playoffs but is instead facing a dog fight in the business half of the campaign.
They desperately need to win on Wednesday to close the gap and build some momentum ahead of the intermission, a feat which they should ultimately be able to accomplish because of their advantage in the pitching department.
Who to Bet On?
Betting odds for the Chicago White Sox-Cleveland Guardians game will be available on sportsbooks under the “MLB” subheading in the baseball section.
MLB Pick: Guardians 8 (+100)
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