Houston Astros vs Chicago White Sox ALDS Odds, Prediction, and Preview
- The Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox square off in the American League Division Series
- Houston won the season series 5-2, outscoring the White Sox 35-23
- See the series odds and schedule below
With the Tampa Bay Rays claiming top spot in the American League with 100 wins, that leaves the White Sox (93-69) and Astros (95-67) to battle it out in the American League Division Series.
Chicago struggled for the most part in September. They had lost 10 of their first 18 games before winning eight of 11 to close out the season, including a six-game winning streak. Starting September 18, Houston won seven of eight before dropping four in a row, and then going 4-2 over their last six.
Game 1 is on Thursday, October 7th at 4:07 pm EST from Minute Maid Park in Houston. Game 2 goes Friday at 2:07 pm, and after a travel day, Game 3 is in Chicago at 8:07 pm. Games 4 and 5 are Monday and Wednesday if necessary.
White Sox vs Astros ALDS Odds
| Team | ALDS Odds |
|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox | +112 |
| Houston Astros | -130 |
Odds as of October 4th at FanDuel
When it comes to the World Series odds, the Sox are looking up at the Astros. Houston is at +465 on average, while Chicago is fifth at +750. The teams played twice in 2021: a four-game series in June and then a three-game set in July. Houston swept the June series, outscoring Chicago 27-8. The tightest game was a 2-1 walk-off win.
In July things started off similarly with a 7-1 Astros win. The White Sox rebounded however, taking the final two games by a combined score of 14-1.
White Sox vs Astros: 2021 Season
| .256 (5th) | AVG | .267 (1st) |
| 190 (19th) | HR | 221 (9th) |
| 757 (8th) | RBI | 834 (1st) |
| .336 (3rd) | OBP | .339 (1st) |
| .422 (10th) | SLG% | .444 (3rd) |
| 3.73 (5th) | ERA | 3.76 (7th) |
| 1.20 (5th) | WHIP | 1.23 (8th) |
| 3.27 (4th) | K/BB | 2.65 (17th) |
The Astros have arguably the best offense in baseball, but the White Sox aren’t far behind. They’ve got plenty of impact bats too, so this series could be a lot of fun.
For the Astros, two of their most consistent bats all year struggled against Chicago. In seven games, Yordan Alvarez hit .231 with just three RBI. Jose Altuve was slightly better, hitting .250 with a home run and three RBI, but that won’t cut it in October.
Alex Bregman missed both series with a quad injury.
Dusty said it will probably be @lmccullers43 starting for the @Astros in ALDS Game 1 on Thursday vs the White Sox. #ForTheH
— SportsTalk 790 (@SportsTalk790) October 3, 2021
On the other side, Jose Abreu didn’t bring his best against the Astros, slumping to a .167 average in their seven contests. Tim Anderson struggled as well, but the two combined for three home runs and eight RBI.
However the White Sox may not just have one secret weapon, but two. Neither Eloy Jimenez or Luis Robert played in any of the seven head-to-head matchups. Robert wrapped up the season hitting .338, with a .378 OBP and .946 OPS.
The White Sox/Astros ALDS will be the 1st postseason series between two managers who are 70+ years old
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 3, 2021
Jimenez returned from a torn left pectoral to hit .252 with 10 homers in 54 games. While he’s still not quite operating at full speed, he’s a valuable power bat in the Sox’ lineup.
ALDS Will Hinge on Pitching
While both teams will bring the bats starting Thursday, the key will be how well they do on the mound.
The surest thing in the Astros’ rotation is probably Lance McCullers. He started 28 games, winning 13 of them and posting a 3.16 ERA. Luis Garcia, Framber Valdez and Jose Urquidy all had excellent seasons as well, which is good because of the curious collapse of Zack Greinke.
Chicago’s rotation is headlined by Lucas Giolito, who had a rough start, but kept his ERA under 3.80 in each of the season’s final three months. Lance Lynn was a Cy Young candidate to start the season, but wasn’t as effective in the second half.
AL ERA leaders in in 2021 (starting pitching):
1. White Sox 3.57
2. Astros 3.60— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) October 4, 2021
After Lynn there are some questions. Like Greinke, Dallas Keuchel experienced a sharp decline. His first half wasn’t good (4.25 ERA) and his second half was worse (6.82). That complicates things. So does Carlos Rodon’s shoulder injury, as whether or not he makes the playoff roster will come down to the wire on Thursday.
Both teams have excellent closers. The White Sox can trot out Liam Hendriks, while the Astros have Ryan Pressly. Both had ERAs under 2.60 in 2021, ERA+ over 170 and FIPs below 2.40. They’ve also tried to mix and match bullpen pieces with varying degrees of success.
Astros Relying on Experience
Since 2015 the Astros have played in 13 playoff series. They’ve won nine of them.
The White Sox have played in six since 1994. That’s why they brought in Tony La Russa.
Houston has been there, done that, but they’re desperate to validate their talent with a second title. The additions of Jimenez and Robert are tantalizing, but the question marks surrounding some of the Sox pitchers are troubling.
Chicago was a bad road team this year (40-41) so missing out on home field advantage is big. They were also just 44-32 in a division where they were the only team above .500.
Depending on how they roll out their starters, the White Sox should be able to send it back to Houston for Game 5. But their poor road record will do them in.
The Pick: Houston Astros (-130)
Bryan has spent the last decade working in the sports industry. From the sidelines in the OHL and Rugby League to behind the scenes at TSN, Bryan has a wealth of experience with a soft spot for props and parlays.
