White Sox vs Cleveland Odds, Betting Lines, and Picks (Sep. 23)
- The Chicago White Sox are -135 road favorites over Cleveland in an American League Central afternoon game slated for Friday, September 23
- It’s the opener of a five-game weekend series and a day/night doubleheader
- Cleveland holds a 6-2 edge over the White Sox in the past eight games between the two teams played at Progressive Field
The Chicago White Sox (85-66, 36-39 away) are nearing a champagne-popping celebration and it could come on Thursday. Cleveland (74-76, 37-38 home) is playing out the string.
The magic number for the ChiSox to clinch the American League Central Division title is two. It will almost certainly happen this weekend. Cleveland and Chicago played a five-game weekend series, beginning with this day-night twinbill on Thursday.
Oddsmakers think it could be happening following the opener of this set. The White Sox are established as the -135 road favorites. The White Sox are the only MLB division leader with a losing road record.
White Sox vs Cleveland Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox | -135 | -1.5 (+150) | O 7 (-110) |
| Cleveland | +115 | +1.5 (-170) | U 7 (-110) |
Odds as of September 23rd at DraftKings
First pitch Thursday is slated for 1:10 pm ET at Progressive Field. That’s if they get the game in at all. The forecast is calling for showers, 21 mph winds gusting up to 31 mph and a temperature of 57 degrees.
Both Cleveland and Chicago saw their Wednesday games rained out.
Lopez vs Civale
| 3-3 | Record | 5-6 |
| 3.00 | ERA | 4.28 |
| 4.62 | xERA | 3.28 |
| 1.56 | WHIP | 0.94 |
| 3.92 | SO/W Ratio | 3.92 |
White Sox right-hander Lopez will be making his 18th appearance and eighth start of the season. He’s 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA as a starter and 2-0 with an 0.90 ERA out of the bullpen.
Since returning to the rotation on September 4, Lopez is 0-2 with a 6.92 ERA in three starts. He’s served up three home runs over those three starts. He’d only allowed three homers through his first 35 innings of the season.
Happy Reynaldo Lopez Day!! pic.twitter.com/bxrBcgg7Y6
— Depressed Chicago Sports Fan (@MarcoHerrera19) September 16, 2021
Lopez has faced Cleveland once this season. He worked three innings of scoreless relief during a 2-1 Chicago win on August 1. Lopez allowed one hit and struck out four.
Over his career, the righty has faced Cleveland eight times, including seven starts. Lopez is 2-3 with a 4.71 ERA and one complete game.
After back-to-back losses to open September, Cleveland right-hander Civale regrouped in his most recent start. He held the New York Yankees scoreless over six innings and got the win in an 11-3 verdict on September 18.
Aaron Civale, Pretty 75mph Curveball. 🌈 pic.twitter.com/UhQ6sixXyN
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 18, 2021
Civale has faced the ChiSox twice this season. He allowed one earned run over six innings and got the win in a 4-2 victory on April 15. Civale had thrown 4.2 innings of scoreless baseball in what would become a 4-0 shutout of the White Sox on June 21. However, he was forced to leave the game with a sprained right middle finger. That ailment kept him on the IL until September.
Civale shows a 1.50 ERA against Chicago this season. He’s 4-2 with a 3.51 ERA in six career starts against the Pale Hose.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| White Sox Batters | Batting Average vs Civale | Cleveland Batters | Batting Average vs Lopez |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Abreu | .143 | Bobby Bradley | .000 |
| Tim Anderson | .333 | Yu Chang | .000 |
| Zack Collins | .000 | Ernie Clement | .000 |
| Adam Engel | .000 | Andres Gimenez | .500 |
| Leury Garcia | .222 | Austin Hedges | .400 |
| Brian Goodwin | .000 | Oscar Mercado | .000 |
| Yasmani Grandal | .111 | Owen Miller | .000 |
| Billy Hamilton | .000 | Roberto Perez | .000 |
| Cesar Hernandez | .000 | Harold Ramirez | .000 |
| Eloy Jimenez | .444 | Jose Ramirez | .188 |
| Yoan Moncada | .429 | Franmil Reyes | .125 |
| Luis Robert | .333 | Myles Straw | .000 |
| Gavin Sheets | .000 | Bradley Zimmer | .000 |
White Sox left-fielder Eloy Jimenez is 4-for-9 (.444) with a home run and two RBI when facing Civale. Third baseman Yoan Moncada is 6-for-14 (.429) and has driven in two runs. Shortstop Tim Anderson is 5-for-15 (.333) with a solo homer. Centerfielder Luis Robert is 3-for-9 (.333).
https://twitter.com/MattBlakeStan/status/1439406548405657600?s=20
No Cleveland batter is a career .200 hitter against Lopez. The closest is third baseman Jose Ramirez. He’s 3-for-15 (.188) with a homer and three RBI.
White Sox vs Cleveland Pick
In 14 meetings this season, they’ve split the games right down the middle 7-7. Cleveland holds a 6-2 edge in the last eight played at Progressive Field.
The White Sox own a run differential of +142 this season. Every other AL Central team shows a negative run differential. Cleveland (-16) is second best.
Over the past seven games, the ChiSox have scored three runs or less five times. They’ve lost all five of those games. Meanwhile, Cleveland has won six in a row when scoring at least four runs.
Pick: Cleveland (+115)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
