The Texas Rangers (65-66) have won three of their last four games. They’re currently in the thick of the playoff race, tied for the AL West lead with the Houston Astros. They’ll look to keep pace with another win on the road tonight.
It’s a matchup against the Chicago White Sox (68-62), who bounced back by taking two of three vs. the New York Mets over the weekend. Chicago has been excellent at home this season, going 39-26, so it will be interesting to see if they can keep it rolling. Let’s dive into MLB prediction markets to find value on this game.
The White Sox are priced at 56 cents to win this game due to their home-field advantage. It’s also worth noting that tonight’s starter, Jose Urquidy, is coming off six scoreless innings vs. the Cubs, which bodes well for the White Sox.
The Rangers are sending out Kumar Rocker, who has allowed three earned runs or fewer in five of his last six starts, so he’s providing some quality innings lately. To that end, I think the White Sox are a bit overvalued in their price to win this game.
Both teams are in the thick of the playoff race, so this game can go either way, so I’m staying away from choosing a side. Instead, we’ll look at the total as a market to exploit.
I’m taking Over 8.5 runs scored: No, which is priced at 53 cents. While Kumar Rocker vs. Jose Urquidy is hardly a matchup of household names on the mound, there are a few conditions that make me favor Under 8.5 here.
For one, we’re getting favorable weather conditions for this game. Forecasts are calling for 70-degree temperatures with the wind blowing in from left-center at 5 MPH. This is a pitcher-friendly environment where runs could be hard to come by.
Additionally, the Rangers have been ice-cold at the plate, combining for only seven runs in their last five games. Likewise, the White Sox haven’t been great, either, with a combined 19 runs in their last six games.
With both Rocker and Urquidy pitching better lately, this feels like one of those surprisingly low-scoring games considering the two names on the mound. I’ll buy into Under 8.5 here, even at 53 cents.
Rangers’ starting pitcher Jacob deGrom became the second-fastest pitcher to reach 2,000 strikeouts last Thursday.
Texas has really struggled on the road this year, putting up a 29-37 record.
The White Sox had a bullpen game on Sunday, so they’ll be looking for Jose Urquidy to provide some length for this matchup.
Chicago has been terrific at home, winning 39 of 65 games.
The White Sox opened around 54% favorites for this game, but the market has moved in their direction, as they’re now priced at 56 cents. The total has moved towards the Under 8.5 at 53 cents, likely due to the favorable pitching weather.
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