The Chicago White Sox (13-25) and Kansas City Royals (11-27) tangle in the finale of a 4-game series Thursday. The first pitch at Kauffman Stadium is slated for 2:10 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the White Sox vs. Royals odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Royals lead 2-1
Chicago is 2nd last in MLB with 6.11 runs allowed per game. White Sox pitchers allowed 3 home runs in a 9-1 loss to the Royals Wednesday. Chicago has allowed multiple homers in 15 games this season.
The Royals are trying to close out a 10-game homestand with a level 5-5 mark. K.C. is perhaps unlucky to be 4-5 over the first 9 games of the stay at Kauffman Stadium as it has logged a robust .931 OPS over that span.
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White Sox at Royals projected starters
RHP Michael Clevinger vs. RHP Brady Singer
Clevinger (2-3, 4.84 ERA) is making his 8th start. He has a 1.53 WHIP, 4.1 BB/9 and 8.4 K/9 through 35 1/3 IP.
- Has been hurt by walks; his 4.1 BB/9 mark is his highest since logging a 4.4 BB/9 mark in 2017
- Has logged a 5.57 ERA on the road over the last 2 seasons
Singer (2-4, 8.82 ERA) makes his 8th start. He has a 1.60 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9 and 8.8 K/9 through 33 2/3 IP.
- Looking to bounce back from a shaky start last time out: loss, 4 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K in 5-4 defeat vs. Oakland Athletics Saturday
- First-pitch strikes have dipped over recent starts and he owns a 10.72 ERA over his last 5 efforts
White Sox at Royals odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:42 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: White Sox -102 (bet $102 to win $100) | Royals -116 (bet $116 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): White Sox -1.5 (+146) | Royals +1.5 (-176)
- Over/Under (O/U): 9 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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White Sox at Royals picks and predictions
Prediction
Royals 4, White Sox 3
Moneyline
The ChiSox are 1-5 in their last 6 games in Kansas City.
Kansas City figures as a team to watch in May. The Royals are better than their record, and some slightly better pitching and some mound luck will make them a much more competitive club — especially against the weaker field of the AL Central.
Singer, who logged a 2.76 ERA at home last season, has pitched around terrible BABIP and LOB numbers. He has a .347 BABIP and nearly 50% of his base runners have come around to score. He has also faced a tougher-than-average slate of opposing offenses.
Clevinger has been walking too many batters, and his road numbers leave much to be desired.
BACK THE ROYALS (-116).
Run line/Against the spread
Kansas City can struggle against right-handers. A ROYALS +1.5 (-176) play can help defray the lack of confidence in K.C.’s attack in a game that has a pull toward a lower score.
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Over/Under
Both pitching staffs have seen good hitting so far, but both bullpens have been BABIP-bashed so far (Kansas City .331, Chicago .340).
Consider a partial-unit play on the UNDER 9 (-105).
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