Twins vs White Sox | MLB Betting Favorites, Analysis & Prediction

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The Chicago White Sox have been one of the most disappointing teams in the majors this season and if they were to get swept at home this weekend by the Minnesota Twins, the Pale Hose’s slim playoff hopes are pretty much over.

How to Bet Twins at White Sox MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Friday, 8:10 PM ET
Where: Guaranteed Rate Field
Probable pitchers (away/home): Sonny Gray/Davis Martin
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
Opening MLB Lines: Twins -125, White Sox +115 (total 8.5)

Why Bet on Minnesota?

The Twins lead the season series, 6-4, vs. Chicago but the Sox have won four of the last five games. The White Sox took three of four at Target Field to end the first half (32-10 scoring margin). The White Sox are 14-28 in the first game of a series this season (6-14 at home). By comparison, the Sox are 28-13 in the second game of a series.

The Twins have been off since losing 6-5 at home to Boston on Wednesday, snapping a five-game winning streak. Nick Gordon went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the loss. Overall this season, the former top-5 pick is slashing .279/.323/.439 with six homers, 32 RBI and six steals across 294 at-bats. Gordon has now recorded multi-hit performances in three consecutive contests and has two doubles, a homer and eight total RBI over his last two games.

Luis Arraez went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI Wednesday. Arraez accounted for the only runs off Boston starter Michael Wacha with his two-run shot to right field in the third inning. He added another RBI on a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Arraez batted a modest .269 in August, dropping his season average to .318. That’s still third among qualified major-league hitters.

Carlos Correa is hitting .333 with 12 walks, eight RBI, a .432 on-base percentage and a .916 OPS in his last 18 games. He has reached safely multiple times in 10 of those 17.

It’s right-hander Sonny Gray (7-4) on the mound here. Gray allowed a run on one hit, four walks and a hit batter while striking out four over five innings in a no-decision versus the Giants last Saturday. Gray has walked four or more batters only three times in 20 starts this year, so it was an unusual lack of command for the right-hander. The 32-year-old has a 3.04 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 99:32 K:BB through 100.2 innings.

Gray has yielded two-or-fewer runs in six of his last seven starts, since July 24; is 3-1, 1.91 ERA (37.2 IP, 8 ER) with 15 walks and 42 strikeouts in that span. He is 4-2, 4.47 ERA (48.1 IP, 24 ER) with 20 walks and 46 strikeouts in nine games (8 starts) vs. the White Sox career. He lost at home to them on July 14.

Why Bet on Chicago?

The managerial reign of Tony La Russa has not gone as planned in Chicago (in his second stint there) and it might be over. He left the team before Wednesday’s game for an unknown medical issue and there is no timetable for his return. A Hall of Fame manager with three World Series rings, La Russa returned to the dugout in 2021 — 10 years after he last managed in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals. Frankly, there’s no reason at this point for the 77-year-old to return and just about every White Sox fan wanted him fired anyways. Bench coach Miguel Cairo has been running the club.

Not clear if the Sox will have star outfielder Luis Robert in the lineup Friday. Robert was excused from the White Sox on Thursday for the birth of his child. He already had been out of action for the White Sox since last Thursday due to a lingering left wrist injury. The 25-year-old holds a .787 OPS with 12 home runs, 56 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 54 runs scored in 90 games this season.

The White Sox recalled outfielder Adam Haseley from Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday. Haseley is expected to serve as a depth option in the outfield behind Robert, Andrew Vaughn, AJ Pollock, Gavin Sheets and Adam Engel while he’s up with the big club. Over his previous 23 plate appearances in the big leagues this season, Haseley hit .250 with three runs and two RBI.

The team also called up pitcher Matt Foster from Triple-A. Foster will give the White Sox an extra right-handed arm out of the bullpen for the final five weeks of the season. He’s previously made 47 appearances for Chicago this season, logging a 4.50 ERA and 1.32 WHIP across 44 innings.

José Abreu is hitting .351/.444/.568 vs. Minnesota this season, and Andrew Vaughn is slashing at a .366/.395/.732 clip.

It’s Davis Martin on the mound here. Martin (2-4) took the loss to Arizona last Saturday, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits while striking out two and walking four over three innings. He did not allow a home run in the contest but walked Carson Kelly with the bases loaded. The righty also struggled with efficiency, tossing 35 of 63 pitches for strikes across three frames. Martin has completed six innings once out of five games started this season. His ERA now sits at 4.85.

Martin will make his first career appearance vs. the Twins. He is 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA (6 ER/22.0 IP), 16 strikeouts and a .232 (19-82) opponents’ average in four games (three starts) against the American League Central this season.