White Sox vs Blue Jays Odds, Betting Lines, and Picks (August 26)

• The Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays both have -110 odds for their game on Thursday
• In a pairing of lefties, the White Sox’s Carlos Rodon (9-5, 2.38) faces Hyun Jin Ryu (12-6, 3.54)
• Odds and analysis can be found below with a prediction

The Toronto Blue Jays will look to take a four-game series from the visiting Chicago White Sox when the teams meet at 3:07 pm ET, Thursday, at Rogers Centre.

The Blue Jays (66-59, 34-27 home) have won two of the first three games from the American League Central-leaders in the series after having lost seven of their previous nine games. The White Sox (73-55) have lost four of five but still hold a nine-game lead over Cleveland in the division standings and are even steven Thursday.

White Sox vs Blue Jays Odds

Odds as of August 25th at DraftKings.

Both teams opened at -110 on the moneyline and have stayed there. It is expected to be a warm day in Toronto – maybe too warm to keep the Rogers Centre roof open – with the temperature expected to be 83 degrees at game time with a south-southeast wind at 6 mph and a 15% chance of rain.

Probable Pitchers

In a matchup of left-handers, Carlos Rodon (9-5, 2.38) will pitch for the White Sox against Hyun Jin Ryu (12-6, 3.54)

Rodon is coming off the injured list after missing 2.5 weeks with shoulder fatigue. He was outstanding in his last start, striking out 11 in five shutout innings to beat the Cubs on Aug. 7 at Wrigley Field.

Rodon vs Ryu

Rodon allowed just two hits and walked two after losing his two previous starts.

The White Sox are 12-7 when Rodon pitches this season, and he has nine quality starts in 19 games. Rodon is 6-2 on the road with a 2.21 ERA in 11 starts and has a 4-2 record in eight day starts with a 3.18 ERA.

Perhaps his success is being fueled by apples.

Carlos Rodón is back from the IL; he’ll make his first start since 8/7 on Thursday in the finale in Toronto.

Rodón is 9-5 with a 2.38 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 13.3 K/9 in 109.2 innings of work this season. pic.twitter.com/UDr4we3Kjx

— Patrick K. Flowers (@PatrickKFlowers) August 25, 2021

Rodon faced the Blue Jays on June 8 in Chicago and did not factor in the decision, though he surrendered only one run in five innings. He is 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in three career starts against the Blue Jays but has never faced them at Rogers Centre.

Ryu is tied for the AL lead with his 12 wins and has gone 5-1 with a 3.30 ERA in his last eight starts. He pitched seven scoreless innings to beat the Detroit Tigers on Saturday at home, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out five.

Because of the pandemic, Ryu had to wait more than a year before he could call Rogers Centre home.

He wanted to play for YOU 💙

Hyun Jin Ryu is home: https://t.co/UyxNFf52Sw pic.twitter.com/aVPK5UYi0X

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 21, 2021

Half of Ryu’s 24 starts this season have been quality ones and the Blue Jays are 16-8 when he toes the slab. Ryu is 2-0 with a 4.58 ERA at Rogers Centre and 5-2 with a 3.71 ERA in 11 day starts.

Ryu lost to the White Sox on June 10 in Chicago when he was touched for three runs in six innings. It was his career start against the White Sox.

Good Lourdes

Few White Sox hitters have much history against Ryu. However, Blue Jays designated hitter Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is 3 for 6 with a double off Rodon.

Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers

White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada is a on a 12-game hitting streak, going 16 for 45 (.356) in that span. Left fielder Eloy Jimenez (13 games) and shortstop Tim Anderson (10 games) had double digit hitting streaks end Wednesday night in a 3-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

Yoán Moncada extends his hitting streak to a season-high 12 games & gets us on the board!@ymoncada19 | @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/pAbR2RMvzi

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 25, 2021

Blue Jays third baseman Santiago Espinal is 9 for 24 (.375) during a seven-game hitting streak. Rookie catcher Alejandro Kirk is hitting .315 (17 for 54) with six doubles and seven RBIs in 19 games since being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on July 23.

White Sox-Blue Jays Pick

Little separates these teams, at least when they play each other. They have split six games this season and the Blue Jays hold a 13-12 edge since the start of the 2017 season.

On Wednesday night, Kirk broke a tie with an RBI single in the eighth inning for what proved to be the game-winning hit. With two outs, none on and the score tied at 1-1 in the eighth inning and the score tied 1-1, Teoscar Hernandez, pinch-hitter Breyvic Valera and Kirk hit consecutive singles.

CAPTAIN CLUTCH 😤

🚀 @alejandro_kirk 🚀 pic.twitter.com/3fLAlUBZM7

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 26, 2021

The pitching matchup is an interesting one between two lefties having fine seasons. Let’s give the edge to Ryu as Rodon could be rusty after sitting out two weeks and not having any rehab starts in the minor leagues.

The Pick: Blue Jays moneyline (-110)