Many bettors are very high on the Chicago White Sox being a breakout AL team this shortened baseball season, but it’s the Minnesota Twins who are favored to repeat in the AL Central. The teams meet on the South Side of Chicago on Friday in the season opener for both.
How to Bet Twins at White Sox MLB Odds & TV Info
- When: Friday, 8:10 PM ET
- Where: Guaranteed Rate Field
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Jose Berrios/Lucas Giolito
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Stream:tv
- Radio: http://mlb.mlb.com/media/player/mpa/?c_id=mlb
- Opening MLB Lines: White Sox -108, Twins -102 (total 8.5)
Why Bet on Minnesota?
The Twins completed the 2019 regular season with a record of 101-61, winning the American League Central. Minnesota spent 171 days in first place, tied with the 1970 AL West champions for most in club history (since 1961). The 101 wins were the second most ever for a Twins club, trailing the 1965 team (102-60). Rocco Baldelli became the seventh manager in baseball history to win 100-plus games in his first season as MLB manager.
The Twins finished the regular season with 307 home runs setting a Major League Baseball record, just ahead of the New York Yankees, who had 306. The previous Twins record was 225 (done in 1963). Nelson Cruz (41), Max Kepler (36), Miguel Sanó (34), Eddie Rosario (32) and Mitch Garver (31) became the first set of five teammates in baseball history to reach the 30-home run plateau. Twins players recorded 33 multi-homer games, setting a major league record.
Twins catchers combined for 44 home runs (Garver – 30, Jason Castro – 13, Willians Astudillo – 1), setting a major league record. Cruz and Kepler were one of five sets of teammates with 36-plus homers, joining Atlanta’s Acuña, Jr. (41)/Freeman (38)/Donaldson (37), Dodgers’ Bellinger (47)/Pederson (36), Houston’s Bregman (41)/Springer (39), and Oakland’s Chapman (36)/Olson (36).
In addition, the 2019 Twins finished the regular season with a road record of 55-26, tied with the 1971 Oakland A’s for the third most road wins in baseball history, trailing the 2001 Mariners (59-22) and the 2018 Astros (57-24).
It’s All-Star right-hander Jose Berrios on the mound here. Last year, he finished with a 3.68 ERA (200.1 IP, 82 ER). It was the first time in career he crossed the 200 IP threshold. He recorded double-digit strikeout totals three times on the season: 10 on Opening Day (3/28) vs. Cleveland, 10 on June 17 vs. Boston, and a season-high 11 July 31 at Miami.
Berrios went 8-5, 3.00 ERA (117.0 IP, 39 ER) with 104 strikeouts, 23 walks, a .238 opponent batting average and 14 quality starts in 18 starts pre-All-Star break. He held left-handed batters to a .247 average and right-handers to a .254 average last year.
Why Bet on Chicago White Sox?The Sox will be without one of their offseason additions, outfielder Nomar Mazara, for a while as he was placed on the 10-day injured list this week. White Sox manager Rick Renteria has declined to elaborate about Mazara’s absence when asked but he likely tested positive for COVID-19. Chicago will likely put either Leury Garcia or Adam Engel in the Opening Day outfield next to Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert.
Third baseman Yoan Moncada was a late arrival to summer camp after testing positive for the coronavirus but should be good to go for the opener. Last year, he had 315/.367/.548 batting line with 25 home runs, 79 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and 83 runs scored in 132 games.
It’s All-Star right-hander Lucas Giolito on the mound. Giolito, who turned 26 on July 14, would have been the Opening Day starter on March 26 at home against the Royals had the coronavirus pandemic not shut down the season. Over 29 starts last season, Giolito posted a 14-9 record with a 3.41 ERA to go with 228 strikeouts in 176 2/3 innings. He was an American League All-Star and finished tied for sixth in the AL Cy Young Award voting, recording road shutouts of the Astros and Twins, two of the game’s most potent offenses.
Giolito, who will be making his first career Opening Day start, was 2-2 with a 3.24 ERA against the Twins in 2019, including a three-hit, 12-strikeout shutout at Target Field on Aug. 21.
“I’m really looking at this year as an opportunity for us to just take advantage of the situation,” said Giolito this week. “A 60-game season, it’s a sprint of a season. I’m not going to put extra pressure on myself or on our team.
Game Trends
- Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
- Twins are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
- Twins are 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Chicago.
Expert Prediction
White Sox 5, Twins 4
