White Sox vs Royal Picks and Odds – Velasquez vs Hernandez

• The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals face off at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday, May 19th
• Tony La Russa’s club has gotten off to a mediocre start, while Mike Matheny’s team just fired its hitting coach
• Read below for the White Sox and Royals odds and betting preview

The Chicago White (18-19) ace the Kansas City Royals (14-22) on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium. The finale of a five-game series has a scheduled first pitch of 2:10 pm ET. The White Sox will send Vince Velasquez to the hill, while the home team counters with Carlos Hernandez.

The Pale Hose are road favorites in this one and are -134 favorites to win the AL Central. Meantime, the Royals began the season as +3500 longshots to win the division — but have seen those odds lengthen to +4000. Matheny’s club is expected to win 75.5 games, while the White Sox are projected to win 91.5 in the MLB win totals.

White Sox vs Royals Odds

Odds as of May 18th at DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Chicago White Sox vs Kansas City Probable Pitchers

La Russa’s club — with its stacked lineup and formidable rotation — was expected to run away with the division it won by 13 games last season. But South Side hitters have failed to meet expectations and some of the starters — including Velasquez — have been below-average.

Chicago is 3-3 in the 29-year-old’s six starts this season, none of which have been of the quality variety. He’s coming off his worst outing of the season last Friday against the Yankees — going five innings and allowing eight hits, seven earned runs and three walks while striking out four and surrendering three home runs in an eventual 10-4 loss.

The former Phillie has gone 27.2 innings in 2022, giving up 30 hits, 17 earned runs and 12 walks while striking out 25 and allowing six big flies.

Rick Hahn is wasting the White Sox window in a “contending season” with:

1. Vince Velasquez mattering.
2. Two 1B learning OF.
3. Keuchel white flag fifth days
4. Leury

This team didn’t get better. It got worse. #FireHahn

— Jesus H. Strawman (@RecoveringProf) May 14, 2022

As up-and-down as its been for the White Sox with Velasquez getting the nod, it’s gone far worse for Hernandez. Kansas City is only 1-5 in the 25-year-old’s six starts this year, with none of them — like his opposite number on Thursday —  being quality ones. And also like Velasquez, Hernandez enters Thursday’s tilt coming off his worst outing of the season last Saturday against the Rockies. The Venezuelan went four innings, allowing eight hits, nine earned runs and three walks, while striking out three and surrendering a pair of long balls.

How do you justify this roster move when Carlos Hernandez can’t make it 5 innings, nearing an ERA of 10, and has given up more more walks than K’s in every outing but 1.. https://t.co/MEfl20DcEw

— Dylan Braun (@dylanbraun22) May 18, 2022

Vince Velasquez vs Carlos Hernandez

For an offense that includes Yoan Moncada, Jose Abreu and Yasmani Grandal, the White Sox have struggled to score runs of late. None of those players own a batting average higher than Abreu’s .212 and Chicago has managed to score only 19 runs over the last seven games. That’s a far cry from the nearly 5-run-per-game average the Pale Hose mustered last season.

Tim Anderson has been a bright spot La Russa. The shortstop is hitting ,338 with four homers and 13 runs driven in. He’s also good at run prevention.

Smooooth jump throw by Tim Anderson 💯

(via @NBCSWhiteSox)pic.twitter.com/Ylv0wU6jm3

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 19, 2022

Meanwhile, KC fired hitting coach Terry Bradshaw on Monday prior to the start of the Chicago series. The Royals had scored 118 runs through 32 games coming in, better than only three MLB teams (including Chicago). The 21 dingers hit trailed only Detroit and Boston for worst in the bigs. Over the last four games, Matheny’s club has scored 11 runs and three homers. That includes one from the game’s top prospect.

The White Sox have +1000 odds to win the Fall Classic, while the Royals are at +8000 in the World Series odds.

CHW vs KC Last 10 Meetings

White Sox vs Royals Prediction

With both pitchers struggling coming in, conventional wisdom says the over is a good play here. But neither team has been a juggernaut of late. I’ll go with the home dogs to close out the series with a victory.

Pick: Royals ML (+120)