The Chicago White Sox (35-25 regular season) and Oakland Athletics (36-24) continue their best-of-three AL Wild Card Series Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET at Ring Central Coliseum. The White Sox took Game 1 to put the A’s on the brink of elimination. Below, we analyze the White Sox-Athletics MLB betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
White Sox at Athletics: Projected starting pitchers
LHP Dallas Keuchel vs. RHP Chris Bassitt
Keuchel clocked a 1.99 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in a terrific regular season for the ChiSox.
- Owns a 3.47 ERA over 12 career postseason games.
- Has held Oakland batters to a .659 OPS.
Bassitt logged a 2.29 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in 11 regular season starts. The 31-year-old hurler saved his best for late in the season: he owns a tidy 1.52 ERA over his last 5 GS.
- Has a limited but dominant history against White Sox bats (.362 OPS allowed in 65 PA).
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White Sox at Athletics: Key injuries
(Get the latest injury news here.)
White Sox
- OF Leury Garcia (hand) out
- OF Eloy Jimenez (lower body) questionable
Athletics
- 3B Matt Chapman (hip) out
White Sox at Athletics: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 8:05 a.m. ET.
Money line (ML)
During the regular season, the Athletics (-129) averaged 4.57 runs per game while yielding 3.87. From an analytics standpoint, both figures are suspect, and the A’s went into the postseason as a solid default fade candidate. That’s not to say Oakland isn’t a solid club; just one too far over its skis with a .600 winning percentage.
The top-10 offense of the Chicago White Sox (+115) scuffled down the stretch, batting just .202/.280/.372 while going 2-8 over its last 10 games. Chicago is 130 points (OPS) worse against right-handed pitching (southpaw Jesus Luzardo started Tuesday’s game for Oakland).
The bullpens are an even exchange, despite the Oakland side — with a 2.72 surface ERA — likely being overvalued. As it was on Tuesday, the lean side in this one is with the WHITE SOX. But it’s a moderate lean at best and only at +115 or better.
New to sports betting? A winning $100 bet on the White Sox ML will net an $115 return.
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
PASS on what is a juice-drowned proposition on multi-run margins.
Over/Under (O/U)
Ring Central Coliseum plays as less of a pitchers’ yard in day games. The Athletics bullpen is a fly ball-yielding group, and the weather report for the game hours is one with a hitters’ breeze. More importantly, both starters look to be significantly overvalued by their surface lines. Both have benefited from generous rates around the edges, and a total of 9-plus in this one is plenty likely. BACK THE OVER 7 (-110).
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