Rays vs White Sox Odds - White Sox will continue push for AL Central lead against Rays
The White Sox have been a difficult baseball betting team to handicap this year, as inconsistency hurt them early in the season. But they got hot before the All-Star break, continued with a series win over Baltimore, and they’ll carry it over when they host Tampa Bay for a four-game set beginning on Monday.
Rays vs White Sox odds – “Windy City” will blow Rays away
- Floyd bests Price in battle of talented young hurlers
- Danks shows inconsistent Shields how it’s done
- Buerhle continues mastery of young Rays
Monday, July 20, 8:11 PM ET
David Price (3-3, 4.70) vs Gavin Floyd (7-6, 4.44)
Price bounced back from a horrible outing in Texas to hold Toronto to a run on six hits over six innings of a 3-2 victory, and the most impressive stat was his number of walks: in his previous 7.2 innings, Price had walked 10 batters, but he only walked one Blue Jay to go with seven strikeouts. Floyd couldn’t get to the All-Star break quickly enough, allowing five runs in each of his last two starts. The 26-year-old righthander met the Rays for the first time this year, scattering a pair of runs over seven innings of a 12-2 rout in Tampa Bay. Price has struggled badly on the road with a 0-2 mark in four starts with a 7.27 ERA, and while he has amazing stuff, the kid is just too inconsistent to put on off your sports picks on.
Baseball betting pick: Chicago
Tuesday, July 21, 8:11 PM ET
Jeff Niemann (8-4, 3.73) vs Clayton Richard (3-3, 5.42)
Niemann has been a revelation this season, and he capped off a great first half with a seven-hit complete-game shutout in a 6-0 victory over Oakland, striking out six and walking three. He’s lost both of his career starts against the White Sox, although he pitched well in a 3-2 loss earlier this year. Richard hasn’t allowed less than four runs in five straight starts, and he didn’t even make it out of the second in a 10-8 loss to Cleveland. He’s made two relief appearances against the Rays, keeping them scoreless in 3.1 innings of work. Niemann is 5-2 away from home, while Richard is struggling with confidence, which is never a good thing before you go to your offshore sportsbook.
Baseball betting pick: Tampa Bay
Wednesday, July 22, 8:11 PM ET
James Shields (6-6. 3.75) vs John Danks (8-6, 3.98)
Shields is third in the American League in innings, but he’d love to bounce back from giving up seven in 5.1 innings in Kansas City before the break. His offense bailed him out in a 6-5 win over the White Sox on April 17th, as he gave up five runs in 7.1 innings, and he’s now 1-1 in four career outings against Chicago. Danks has won his last three decisions, and he seems to have the Rays’ number as a 3-2 victory on April 16th boosted his career record to 4-1 in five starts with a 2.67 ERA. This should be a game to watch the sports betting lines for the posted total, as there won’t be many runs scored here today. Given Shields’ 2-4 record and a 4.60 ERA away from home, the slight edge goes to the White Sox.
Baseball betting pick: Chicago
Thursday, July 23, 2:05 PM ET
Scott Kazmir (4-5, 6.62) vs Mark Buerhle (10-3, 3.52)
Kazmir has been the biggest disappointment on the Rays’ staff, and he’s given up seven runs in three of his last six starts. He gave up six runs and six walks in four innings of an 8-3 loss, dropping his career record against Chicago to 3-2 in six starts with a 4.46 ERA. Buerhle is coming off his fourth All-Star selection, and he’s as good as a solid bet at Cellular Field, where he is 6-1 this year with a 2.81 ERA. Combine that with his numbers against the Rays (7-2 in 16 games despite a 4.23 ERA), and it’s pretty easy to see who the betting pick should be.
Baseball betting pick: Chicago
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Before his arm flamed out, Dale “Skip” Lalonde was famous for his high-90s heat and power at the plate. He retired young but never turned his back on baseball, earning the nickname “Skip” for his high-school coaching prowess. A true student of the game, he loves crunching the numbers when he handicaps baseball.
