Chicago White Sox shut out Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of this American League Divisional Series, with Munetaka Murakami's home run the big moment in their 3-0 victory.
Now, Cleveland send Gavin Williams to the hill in Game 2 as they look to level the series before it moves on to Chicago.
The White Sox have lefty Anthony Kay opening, but right-hander Sean Burke is scheduled to pitch the bulk of the innings in this one after helping his team to the win in Game 2 of the Wild Card Round.
White Sox vs. Guardians betting picks and predictions
White Sox ML (+130)
The White Sox have upset the odds all season and they look a decent bet to continue to do so in Game 2 of this Divisional Series battle.
They send Kay out to open before Burke is expected to pitch the majority of the innings and his record against the Guardians this season has been strong.
Chicago's right-hander has pitched 17 1/3 innings against these opponents and given up just two solo home runs with 21 strikeouts and only three walks, for an ERA of 1.04.
That will be a real boost against a batting lineup which struggled badly in Game 1, with the Guardians mustering just three hits across nine scoreless innings against the White Sox's bullpen.
Chicago's reliance on their deep ‘pen and willingness to keep their opponents off balance with pitching changes has worked well all postseason.
Gavin Williams will feature as a more conventional starter for the Guardians and, while he has impressive numbers this season, he has struggled to get the job done against these opponents, managing just a 1-3 record in four starts against the White Sox this year.
The Guardians have not been particularly strong at home either, with a 41-40 record in the regular season at Progressive Field.
In contrast, the White Sox were 48-33 at Guaranteed Rate Field so all the pressure is on Cleveland to level the series before it moves to Chicago.
There is little between these two divisional rivals, which makes the White Sox the bet on the moneyline as underdogs.
Gavin Williams under 7.5 strikeouts (-104)
Williams has put up solid strikeout numbers all year, but there are a few reasons why it may be worth taking the under on his total strikeouts in tonight’s game.
Firstly, with Sunday and Tuesday as days off, the Guardians bullpen will be well rested, particularly as they avoided the Wild Card Round, so any sign of trouble and Williams could be hooked.
Secondly, Williams only had more than eight strikeouts in one of his four starts against the White Sox and was hit hard in his last outing, giving up four earned runs and registering four strikeouts in three and 1/3 innings against Kansas City Royals last month.
If the White Sox can get after the 27-year-old early, he looks likely to go under the total.
Chase Meidroth over 1.5 total bases (+250)
Chase Meidroth was a standout performer for the White Sox in their two wins over Houston Astros recently, with a pair of two-hit games and a crucial home run in their Game 2 victory.
The second baseman had a quiet Game 1 against the Guardians, but looks a very tempting price to bounce back and go over 1.5 total bases.
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White Sox vs. Guardians odds
Chicago White Sox | +130 |
Cleveland Guardians | -170 |
Run Line | Guardians -1.5 |
Total | O/U 6.5 |
White Sox vs. Guardians player props
Player home run odds
Munetaka Murakami (CHI White Sox) | +475 |
Jo Adell (CLE Guardians) | +550 |
Colson Montgomery (CHI White Sox) | +625 |
Miguel Vargas (CHI White Sox) | +650 |
Jose Ramirez (CLE Guardians) | +700 |
Chase DeLauter (CLE Guardians) | +750 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
