White Sox vs Royals Odds and Picks (May 17)

• The Chicago White Sox are -172 favorites over the Kansas City Royals in an American League afternoon game slated for Tuesday, May 17
• Kansas City won two of three at the ChiSox from April 26-28
• All of the White Sox vs Royals betting odds, trends,predictions and best bets are below

As the Kansas City Royals (12-21, 6-10 home) were launching a five-game series against the Chicago White Sox (17-17, 8-7 road), they ousted the man in charge of making their offense. work. However, it did not alter Monday’s outcome.

The Royals were beaten 5-3. Prior to the game, the Royals were announcing the dismissal  of hitting coach Terry Bradshaw. KC ranks 27th in MLB in runs scored (118) and OPS (.625). They’re 28th in home runs (21) and 24th in batting average with runners in scoring position (.220).

The White Sox are treading water. They’ve been either .500, one game above or one game below for each of their past 10 games. Still, it’s the ChiSox that oddsmakers are going with in this opener of a twinight doubleheader.

In the MLB odds, the White Sox are set as -172 favorites. Both the Royals (15-17) and ChiSox (15-18) are among MLB’s worst squads in runline betting.

White Sox vs Royals Odds

Odds as of May 17th at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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First pitch for Tuesday’s game at Kauffman Stadium is set for 2:10 pm ET. The forecast is mostly cloudy with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Wind is 9 mph and the temperature will be 73 degrees.

With a favorite’s moneyline of -172, the White Sox are being given an implied probability of victory of 63.24%.

Even with their slow start to the season, the White Sox are still sitting as -134 odds-on favorites to win the AL Central Division title in the MLB Division odds. The Royals are +3500 longshots to top the group.

Cease and Desist

Since opening the season with consecutive wins, White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease has posted one victory over his past five trips to the hill. Chicago is 3-2 in those games.

One of those five games was a 7-3 home win by the White Sox over the Royals on April 27. Cease allowed three hits and two earned runs while striking out nine over six innings. He didn’t figure in the decision. Cease has fanned 39 batters in his last 22 innings pitched while walking just eight.

Dylan Cease, Elevated 96mph ⛽️

And Mosey to the Saloon K Strut. pic.twitter.com/BPrztnbfLl

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 7, 2022

Cease’s 1.99 xERA is among the top 5% of MLB pitchers. He’s also in the top 5% in xwOBA (.241), in the top 4% of strikeout percentage (36.9) and among the top 3% in xBA (.170). He leads the American League in strikeouts (58) and strikeouts per nine innings (13.7).

Cease is 3-2 with a 2.96 ERA in 10 career starts against the Royals. His WHIP is 1.17 and he’s averaging 10 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. At Kauffman Stadium, Cease is 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in five starts. He’s given up 27 hits and struck out 27 in 28 innings of work.

Cease vs Heasley

Recalled May 12 from Triple-A Omaha, right-hander Jonathan Heasley will make his second start and second appearance of the season. He’s 1-3 as a big-league hurler in four career starts. He went 3.1 innings, allowing four hits and one earned run but still took the loss in a 3-1 setback at Texas.

Worrisome for Heasley are his control issues. He walked four against one strikeout in his season debut. However, in three starts last season, he fanned six while issuing only three free passes.

Heasley has never faced the White Sox. He’s 1-1 in two career starts at Kauffman Stadium with a 7.71 ERA.

Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers

KC’s Andrew Benintendi is 5-for-13 (.285) with an RBI when facing Cease. Kyle Isbel is 1-for-2 (.500). Hunter Dozier, Whit Merrifield and Salvador Perez have all homered off of Cease. Merrifield and Perez each have 4 RBI.

.@WhitMerrifield adds on with a solo shot of his own!@STIHLUSA // #TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/VojK71BOqW

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 15, 2022

No White Sox batter has ever faced Heasley.

White Sox vs Royals Prediction

The White Sox are viewed by many in baseball as a sleeping giant. A five-game series Monday-Thursday with the woeful Royals could prove to be just the elixir to awaken them from their slumber.

We've got a brand new ballgame.#TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/Jy3MMOaqKw

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 17, 2022

Yes, the Royals did win a slugfest series at Colorado over the Rockies on the weekend. But Kansas City is just 3-7-1 in series so far this season.

Pick: Chicago White Sox ML (-172)