Chicago White Sox (43 – 68) vs Cleveland Guardians ( 54 – 56)
Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians 8/05/2023 – The Chicago White Sox will go against the Cleveland Guardians in MLB action in Progressive Field, OH, on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 7:10 PM ET. Free MLB picks: The White Sox made some waves a few years ago, but while keeping much of its core together, they failed to live up to expectations in recent years. With a 43-67 record, they currently hold fourth place in their division and are unlikely to make the playoffs this year. Though traveling could be difficult, they still pose a threat, which is terrible news for rivals over the upcoming months. They have a terrible 20-38 record on the road this season, and despite the fact that they won’t be traveling very far, just being at Progressive Field will knock their confidence. It’s beginning to seem like this team may give up on the season after they went 2-8 in their past ten games.
Michael Kopech will pitch for the White Sox. The righty occasionally displayed brilliance over the last two seasons, but his statistics paint a different picture. He comes in with a 4-10 record, a 4.49 ERA, and also had trouble eating up innings. In fact, his most recent start was also against the Guardians; while only pitching for five innings, he only gave up four hits and three runs. He will give the offense a shot if he can deliver a similar performance.
As a team, Chicago’s offense is hitting .234, relying mainly on home runs to stay in games. The fact that they avoided injuries this season and are just missing Romy Gonzalez (shoulder) from the starting lineup is encouraging. The group benefited from the arrival of Andrew Benintendi (.279 average), while Luis Robert (29 home runs, 60 RBI) is the straw that stirs the cup. If they can pull it all together on Saturday night, this bunch, who has a lot of experience behind them, has the potential to be dangerous.
White Sox vs. Guardians Game Info
When: | Saturday, August 5, 2023 7:10 PM ET |
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Where: | Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusets |
TV: | Bally Sports Great Lakes |
Stream: | MLB.TV |
Michael Kopech (4–10, 4.49 ERA) vs Noah Syndergaard (1–4, 6.68 ERA)
The Guardians were largely unnoticed throughout the season, but they are currently in the middle of the playoff race. They started the weekend 2.5 games behind the Twins, but with a 4-6 record in their last 10 games, they let opportunities to catch Minnesota slip by. Even though, compared to other .500 clubs, they underperformed against the White Sox for much of the season, welcoming Chicago to town could help them get back on a winning path. With a winning record at home, they know this is a chance they can’t miss, especially if they intend to play playoff baseball at the end of the season.
The Guardians are still debating who to hand the ball to in this game. They have a respectable team ERA of 3.85, and this season, their bullpen kept them steady. The bullpen currently has one of the top ERAs in the league at 3.61. Cleveland should be in good shape if whoever does start can contribute a few crucial innings before turning the ball over to one of baseball’s top cores of relief pitching.
Although there isn’t much of a difference between the White Sox and Guardians in terms of offense, having strong pitching does assist to ease some of the strain on this team. Josh Naylor (upper body) is doubtful for the weekend, but the rest of their core should be prepared. Jose Ramirez (18 home runs) continues to be a key and seasoned bat for them to rely on, but Naylor, who leads the team in average and RBI, could be missed.
MLB Odds/Point Spread: Cleveland Guardians -148
Chicago White Sox Betting Trends
The total went UNDER in 6 of Chi White Sox’s last 7 matches.
The Chicago White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 outings.
The White Sox are 0-7 SU in their last 7 matches on the road.
Cleveland Guardians Betting Trends
The total went UNDER in 6 of the Guardians’ last 7 matches.
The Cleveland Guardians are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games.
The total went UNDER in 8 of Cleveland’s last 9 matches against the Chi White Sox.
Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians 8/05/2023 Betting Picks
The MLB pick for this game is the Cleveland Guardians. Betting tips: As a result of Chicago’s struggles on the road plus the Guardians’ home-field advantage, they will easily win the match on Saturday night. Additionally, Kopech had some difficulty this year, and since Chicago lacks dependable bullpen arms, it will be too much to expect them to hold down Cleveland. With plenty of seasoned hitters ready to go, the Guardians’ own bullpen is expected to take the lead in this game. They’ll do just enough to prevail and cover the spread.
Free Pick and Prediction: Cleveland Guardians will win 6-2.