After snapping a four-game skid Sunday against Baltimore, the Chicago White Sox set out across the country for a West Coast bout with the Los Angeles Angels. These teams clashed earlier this season, splitting their four games in the Windy City. The Halos took five of seven and won these clubs’ season series in 2021. Check the White Sox vs. Angels Odds below.
The White Sox (34-37) followed a successful three-game set against Toronto by nearly being swept by the Orioles. This begins a six-game California road trip for Chicago, who hopes to use it as a springboard into divisional play that will last until the All-Star break.
They’ve done so-so on the road to this point, as they have an 18-16 record away from Guaranteed Rate Field. Pitcher Dylan Cease helped steer the Southsiders away from dropping five straight MLB matchups by fanning 13, and the lineup made sure Chicago never trailed.
In the MLB standings, the White Sox are well within range in the American League Central. Minnesota is at the grouping’s perch for the moment, 5.5 games ahead of Chicago. Between those two squads is Cleveland.
Los Angeles (35-40) went through a long pattern of losses that they’d rather forget. They’re still trying to regain proper footing, as they’ve only won a single series since May – that being a sweep against Seattle from June 18-20. The Mariners were their most recent opponents, and they got a bit of revenge, downing the Angels two of three times.
At one point, not all that long ago, the Halos led the MLB standings in the American League West, but the lengthy skid allowed Houston and Texas to jump ahead. The Astros have a comfortable edge, being 11.5 games in front. The Rangers aren’t much closer.
Los Angeles teeters toward the bottom third of the major leagues regarding team batting average (.238). Interestingly, Houston has the same mark in that category.
The Angels have shown to have some pop, as they’re tied for sixth in the bigs with 92 home runs. A big part of that display of power at the plate is franchise cornerstone center fielder Mike Trout, who has 22 blasts – the second-most in the MLB.
Pitcher/hitter unicorn Shohei Ohtani has helped, adding 16 dingers, while first baseman Jared Walsh has 13. Ohtani has also piled up a team-high 47 RBIs and 71 knocks.
While not too much of a problem, Los Angeles’ pitching has room to improve. They rank near the middle in the majors with a 3.79 team ERA.
White Sox vs. Angels Odds
MLB odds like the hosts to get off on the right foot here. Los Angeles is -1.5 on the run line at +155, while the White Sox are -188 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the Angels are -136 and Chicago a +116 underdog. The total has been set at 8.5 runs, with the over being -110 and the under the same at the time of this writing.
The White Sox have demonstrated an adept ability to hit them where they ain’t. Their .252 collective average at the dish is good enough for third in the AL.
They’re not afraid to swing the lumber, and they clearly don’t miss all that often. They have the second-fewest walks at the top level and have among the fewest strikeouts.
Designated hitter Andrew Vaughn has pinned up a .316 average to this point, which means only seven batters have done better. The team isn’t big on homers, though, grading out in the bottom six in that statistic.
No White Sox player has reached double-digit dingers yet. First baseman Jose Abreu has nine. Center fielder Luis Robert has notched 36 RBIs and has a .294 mark in the batter’s box.
Pitching-wise, Chicago has an uninspiring 4.13 ERA. Facing hitters like Trout and Ohtani, they’ll have to do better or risk getting burnt by some of the sport’s best hitters.
Matchup Information
White Sox vs. Angels Betting Preview
Lucas Giolito will be the hurler to toe the rubber for the visiting Chicago White Sox. In a dozen outings this year, he’s posted a 4-4 record and a 5.40 ERA, which can obviously use some improvement.
June hasn’t been the kindest to Giolito, who has watched his team fall in each of his last three outings. His last ten innings on the mound, in particular, are cause for concern, as he allowed a combined total of 18 hits and 15 earned runs at Houston and against Toronto.
Before this month got underway, he had an ERA that sat around 3.60, which was more in line with what he’d shown in his last two campaigns on the hill. In each of Giolito’s last three seasons, he’s had a WHIP of 1.10 or lower. If the season were to end today, he’d finish with the second-highest number in that category in his career.
Over the last five times that Giolito has seen the Halos, he’s pinned up a 1-1 mark and hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of those contests.
Noah Syndergaard is slated to take the ball for Los Angeles, and he’ll have to power out of a rough patch to give his Angels a better chance at a positive result.
He’s been tagged with a loss in five of his last six appearances, including four times straight. The blame isn’t all his, though. The Halos have scored three combined runs during his last four times out.
At the moment, he has a 4-6 record and a 3.86 ERA.
Chicago White Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels Picks and Predictions
This one will likely come down to whether or not Syndergaard can break out of a slump and get some run support from his order. The White Sox are able to get on base, evidently, and Los Angeles will have to count on its star players to match them with their bats.
Giolito will obviously try to shake off a pair of disappointing performances, but it feels like the Angels should be able to start to get things going at their home diamond.
When making your MLB picks today, make sure to pick Los Angeles to cover the spread, further frustrating things for the starting pitcher they’ll face. Syndergaard has pitched too well not to be able to get back in the win column.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.