Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros Prediction and Betting Odds August 15
Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros Betting Preview
WagerTalk MLB handicapper Andy Lang offers his analysis of Monday’s Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros clash at Guaranteed Rate Field. Both teams are on 3+ game winning streaks heading into their series kicking off tonight.
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| Monday, August 15 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Chicago White Sox +115 vs Houston Astros -130 |
| Runline: | White Sox +1.5 (-145) / Astros -1.5 (+125) |
| Total: | 8.5 Runs (Over -110 / Under -110) |
| Game Time: | 8:10pm ET / 5:10pm PT |
| Where: | Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, IL |
| Weather: | 70 Degrees / Clear |
Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros Analysis
The Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox begin a four game series from Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday evening.
The White Sox took full advantage of playing the Detroit Tigers and started their home stand with a three game sweep. The Astros pulled off a three game sweep of their own at home against the Oakland Athletics.
Houston currently has a commanding 13 game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the American League West, while Chicago sits two games short of a playoff spot. The 36 year-old veteran Johnny Cueto gets the nod for the Sox, while the righty Jose Urquidy takes the mound for the Stros. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 PM EST/5:10 PST.
Houston Has No Problems
At 75-41, the Houston Astros have the American Leagues best record with a 2.5 game lead over the New York Yankees. They are currently on a four game winning streak after their three game sweep over the Oakland Athletics.
They outscored them 21-8 in the series after a 6-3 victory on Sunday. Alex Bregman went 3 for 4 with a two run blast and three RBI. Cristian Javier threw six scoreless innings and allowed only one hit and three walks.
The Astros lineup has been outstanding as they rank fifth with a .743 OPS and ninth in scoring with 4.51 runs per game. Jose Urquidy has great numbers on the surface with an 11-4 record and 3.85 ERA. However he does rank in only the 11th percentile in average exit velocity.
He accuracy is phenomenal as he only averages 5.2 walks a game. Urquidy has faced the White Sox once this season and held them to two runs on four hits across seven innings of work.
Sox Sweep Tigers
The Chicago White Sox have fallen short of expectations all season long as injuries and lack of production have held them down. Don’t look now but they may have just gotten back in track with a three game sweep over the Detroit Tigers.
They finished the toothless Tigers off with a 5-3 victory on Sunday afternoon. Lance Lynn had a strong outing with six innings of two run baseball. AJ Pollock went 2 for 4 with a double and solo-blast from the leadoff spot. Still, the Pale Hose offense is below average as they rank 18th in both OPS and scoring.
At 59-56 the Sox currently sit two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the third and final Wild Card spot. Johnny Cueto has now notched six straight quality starts for Chicago, giving his chance to win any time he toes the rubber.
He 4-5 on the season with a 2.91 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. Cueto tossed seven scoreless innings against the White Sox back on June 18th.
Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros Prediction
The Houston Astros are favored with a money line set at -130, while the Chicago White Sox sit at +110 with a total of 8.5. Both Urquidy and Cueto have done a great job limiting the opposition and keeping their teams in the game on a nightly basis.
Cueto has hurled 28 innings since the All-Star break with a 3.21 ERA and Urquidy is 3-0 with a 2.92 ERA across four outings. Both teams are top ten in team ERA as the Astros rank 5th with a 3.17 and the White Sox rank 9th with a 3.56.
The Astros do have a tremendous edge offensively but Cueto had already proven that he can shut them down. Let’s keep the Chicago bullpen out of it and take the first five inning under 4.5 at +100 odds.
Prediction: Under 4.5 F5 +100 DK (first five innings)
First Pitch | MLB Predictions for Monday, August 15
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. Join WagerTalk’s team of MLB betting experts every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT for First Pitch as we discuss the baseball betting slate.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Monday’s baseball games, including this Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.
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