The Chicago White Sox will welcome the Detroit Tigers into Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday night to play the second of a four-game divisional slate.
The Tigers notched a victory on Thursday, exacting an amount of revenge for the last time these clubs got together before that — when the Southsiders swept a three-game set.
The Tigers (35-47) haven’t been a group to write home about this season, but they have caught fire as of late. Including a four-game sweep against Cleveland, Detroit has won six of their last seven games on the MLB schedule.
MLB Standings
However, they have the fewest road wins of any team in the American League. In the MLB standings, they’re in fourth place in the AL Central, 10.5 games behind Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Chicago (39-42) is third in the grouping, trailing the Twins by a six-contest margin. The White Sox entered this bill after losing two of three to the division leaders.
They haven’t done well on their diamond at all, being that only Kansas City has won fewer games at home. While Thursday night didn’t do anything to help that, the team will be looking to improve.
White Sox Batting Performance
The White Sox have done pretty well offensively, as they have the fifth-best team batting average in the bigs. Despite hitting .256, though, Chicago hasn’t translated them into runs, as it ranks in the bottom third in the majors in that category.
Designated hitter Andrew Vaugh paces the order with a .298 average at the plate, while first baseman Jose Abreu is the only player on the team to have hit at least ten home runs to this point. Only four MLB teams have fewer homers than Chicago as a whole.
Chicago White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers
White Sox vs. Tigers Odds
MLB odds have the hosts pulling even in this series by getting back on the horse in this one. Chicago is -1.5 on the run line at +122, while the Tigers are -146 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the White Sox are -174 and Detroit a +146 underdog. The total has been set at 7.5 runs, with the over being -118 and the under -104 at the time of this writing.
Tigers Batting Performance
The Tigers are mediocre at best in terms of swinging the bats. Their .232 team batting average is among the worst in the MLB, while they’ve belted the fewest dingers of any team at the top level.
Miguel Cabrera remains a key cog in the lineup, leading Detroit with a .308 average and 31 RBIs.
Who Is Starting for the Tigers?
Tarik Skubal, a 25-year-old southpaw, is set to take the bump for the visitors. A third-year pro, he’s posted a 5-7 record to this point, along with a 4.06 ERA.
In his last five times out, the Detroit Tigers have fallen short. That span includes last Sunday’s clash with Kansas City, in which Skubal went 4.2 innings, allowing five earned runs. That marked the third time in four starts that he’d given up at least that many scores.
Who Is Starting for the White Sox?
On the other side, the White Sox are slated to send out Lucas Giolito, a right-hander with a 5-4 mark and a 4.90 ERA. Chicago has only come out on the right side of one of his last five starts, that being last Sunday’s visit to San Francisco.
Giolito went six frames in that one, allowing three hits and only one earned run, along with fanning seven. In his last dozen innings, he’s only given up three earned runs.
Chicago White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers Picks and Predictions
Although Detroit found a way to squeak by on Thursday night, the White Sox are the more talented team in this pairing.
With your MLB picks today, take Chicago to cover this ball game’s spread. The Tigers have left a lot to be desired on offense in MLB matchups, and Skubal hasn’t exactly been the best on the rubber. Just don’t expect to see many long balls come from either team.
MLB Pick: -1.5 (2.20)
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