The Kansas City Royals are traveling north to play their divisional nemesis Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. The matchup will get underway at 8:10 p.m. ET and fans can tune in to WGN to catch the action.
Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox Odds
Kansas City (+110) is entering this game as the underdog to Chicago (-120) and Vegas has put the Over/Under for this night game at nine runs (-110 for both the over and the under). The game’s runline odds stand at -190 for picking the Royals +1.5 runs and +165 for the White Sox -1.5.
The Royals have gone 37-84 SU this year and are 55-65 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 32.7 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 19.9 units ATS. The White Sox, on the other hand, are 44-76 SU and 60-60 ATS. The team’s lost 18.0 units for moneyline bettors and 6.6 units ATS.
Chicago games have an over/under record of 57-57-6 in 2018. Royals games have gone under 61 times, gone over 52 times and pushed on seven instances.
Jakob Junis is getting the nod for the visiting Royals. The right-handed Junis is 6-11 with a 4.82 ERA and 122 strikeouts. He’s 1-1 with 10 strikeouts and a 7.94 ERA against Chicago this year (two starts).
The White Sox are sending righty James Shields (4-14, 4.41 ERA) to the mound. Shields has 122 strikeouts and 60 walks to his name, as well as a 1.29 WHIP. Shields is 2-1 with 15 strikeouts and a 4.58 ERA over three starts against Kansas City this year.
Kansas City’s pitching staff allowed 5.4 runs per game and its starters own a 5.34 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 7.35 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 5.23, along with a K/9 of 7.13.
The Royals offense has slashed .241/.305/.374 on its way to 3.7 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.1 runs per game against divisional foes and 4.2 per game over the team’s last five contests (2-3 SU).
Kansas City’s hitters have been paced by second baseman Whit Merrifield and third baseman Mike Moustakas. The speedy Merrifield is slashing .300/.368/.417 with seven home runs, 39 RBIs, 56 runs and 26 stolen bases. Moustakas (.249/.309/.468) has produced 20 homers, 62 RBIs and 46 runs scored.
For the home team, Chicago’s pitching staff has allowed 5.4 runs per game overall this season. Its starting pitching staff has a 5.12 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 4.68 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 9.6 K/9. In 50 divisional games, White Sox starters have an ERA of 4.62 and the bullpen’s ERA is 3.57.
The Chicago hitters have produced 4.1 runs per outing, including 4.1 per game against divisional foes and 5.0 per game over their last five. The team has hit .246/.283/.429 over its last five matchups and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
First baseman Jose Abreu and third baseman Yolmer Sanchez have led the White Sox batters this year. Abreu is hitting .268/.327/.484 with 21 home runs, 73 RBIs and 64 runs scored, while Sanchez’s line sits at .247/.301/.388 with seven homers, 45 RBIs, 43 runs and 10 stolen bases.
The Royals have lost 28.3 units and are 33-47 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has hit in 38 of those games, compared to 37 that’ve hit the under against righty starters. On the other hand, the White Sox have lost 9.5 units and are 46-45 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over’s cashed in 44 of those games, compared to 42 that went under the total.
Kansas City Royals vs. Chicago White Sox Free MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – White Sox, ATS Winner – Royals, O/U – OVER
