Chicago White Sox vs Kansas City Royals Betting Picks

Last night's 22-1 final tells you what the Kansas City Royals' week looked like in Chicago. A 10-run third inning, five home runs, the second-highest run total in White Sox franchise history — a complete and thorough embarrassment. But the game that matters tonight is the one they're about to play, not the one they just endured, and there's a critical difference between the two. Last night was an opener game, with Mitch Spence absorbing 10 runs in less than two innings of mop-up work after the damage was already done. Tonight, Michael Wacha pitches, and the veteran right-hander has been solid all year at a 3.48 ERA, the kind of arm that keeps his team in ballgames start after start. He draws Davis Martin, who has been one of the better starters in the American League this season and has yet to lose a home start all year. The runline does not ask Wacha to beat him outright. It asks him to keep the game within reach — to pitch the way he's been capable of pitching — and a one-run Chicago win still cashes the ticket. Kansas City wins on the runline tonight.

Kansas City has the correct pitcher on the mound to snap its three-game skid. Kris Bubic has a 1.17 WHIP, and the Royals have won his past four starts. He has allowed only eight runs in 23 2/3 innings with 21 strikeouts. Chicago hitters are batting just .175 in 40 at-bats against Bubic. Anthony Kay will start for Chicago, and he owns a 4.89 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. He has given up 14 runs on 25 hits in his past 17 2/3 innings. Kansas City's bullpen was not the problem on Wednesday as it allowed a run on two hits in three innings after starter Seth Lugo was touched for five runs in five innings. Take the Royals. 

These two AL Central rivals enter today with sub-500 records on the season. They split a four-game series in Kansas City last month, where the losing team was scoreless in three of the four games, before the Sox won 6-5 yesterday, belting three home runs. KC (.242) owns the better batting average compared to the Sox (.231), while also holding edges in BABIP and strikeouts. The key today is keeping the ball in the yard, and Seth Lugo is just the man for that. He’s only allowed one home run in 47.2 innings this season (eight starts), with a 42:17 K-to-walk ratio. White Sox starter Noah Schultz was rocked for seven earned runs in his last outing, and after yesterday’s loss, I like KC to bounce back. Take the Royals.