The St. Louis Cardinals (26-22) and Chicago White Sox (28-19) tangle in the final game of their three-game interleague set Wednesday at 2:10 p.m. ET at Guaranteed Rate Field. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the Cardinals vs. White Sox odds with MLB picks and predictions.
RHP John Gant is the projected starting pitcher for the Cardinals. He is 3-3 with a 2.04 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 7.3 K/9 and 6.4 BB/9 over 39 2/3 IP through 8 starts.
Gant has negotiated his way around that high walk rate to give the Cards 5-plus innings in six of his eight starts. He has benefited, though, from a low 3.6% rate of fly balls landing as home runs.
LHP Carlos Rodon is the projected starter for the White Sox. He is 5-1 with a 1.27 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 13.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 through 42 2/3 IP over 7 starts.
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Cardinals at White Sox odds, lines, picks and prediction
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 9:05 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Cardinals +165 (bet $100 to win $165) | White Sox -200 (bet $200 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Cardinals +1.5 (-120) | White Sox -1.5 (+100)
- Over/Under: 8.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Prediction
White Sox 6, Cardinals 3
Money line (ML)
Chicago is the hotter team, and the White Sox offense has put together a .791 OPS over the last 15 games. The straight play here has gotten pricier since the market opened, but CHICAGO (-200) is still a likable play.
It’s a play bullish on Rodon and the ChiSox’s bullpen and bearish on Gant and the Redbirds’ ‘pen.
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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
The White Sox took the first two games of the series by a combined 13-4 score. They are 7-2 over their last 9 home games, and six of those wins were by multiple runs.
The Pale Hose lead the AL Central, but they have underperformed their 5.1 runs per game and 3.6 RPG allowed. So, peg Chicago’s .596 win percentage as underselling what could well be a .630 team. Mix in a quality starter in Rodon and a top-five bullpen (with a mostly available back end), and Chicago becomes a heavy lean.
With Gant perhaps too far over his skis with a 2.04 ERA (so is Rodon, but to a much lesser degree) and with a Redbird relief corps getting by with a .721 batting average on balls in play and a generous home run/fly ball rate, St. Louis becomes a fade in the equation. Early line movement has cut into some profitability on the money line.
BACK THE WHITE SOX -1.5 (+100).
Over/Under (O/U)
Fading both starters and the Cards’ bullpen makes for an Over lean but consider holding out for an evenly-priced 8 (-110) or PASS.
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