In our MLB predictions for Thursday, August 18, we bring you the best Astros vs White Sox betting pick and odds. Houston and Chicago wrap up their seven-game regular-season series with a four-game set finale at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. The White Sox have won three of their first five encounters with the Astros in 2022, including the first two games of this set, while Wednesday night’s clash has been excluded from the analysis.
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Astros vs White Sox Betting Pick
This game will be played at Guaranteed Rate Field at 2:10 PM ET on Thursday, August 18, 2022.
Why Bet The Astros:
✅ Lucas Giolito will get the nod for Chicago, and the 28-year-old right-hander hasn’t been at his best all season long. Giolito carries a 9-6 record with a troublesome 4.92 ERA, 4.10 FIP, and 1.49 WHIP into Thursday’s battle against Houston. He’s allowed 16 earned runs on 34 hits and 11 walks over his previous five starts and 25 innings of work. Giolito’s changeup and slider have an ugly plus-16 run value, and Lucas ranks in the 36th percentile in expected slugging percentage.
✅ The Astros have scored 66 runs over their previous 13 outings. During that stretch, Houston has slashed a firm .270/.324/.435 with 14 home runs and 28 extra-base hits across 437 at-bats.
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✅ The White Sox are way more dangerous when hitting the lefties and hold a 113 OPS+ against the left-handed pitchers in 2022. However, they’ve slashed just .256/.307/.378 against the right-handed pitchers so far this season, enough for a 94 OPS+.
Houston Astros
The 75-43 Astros have dropped two straight games at Guaranteed Rate Field thanks to their bullpen. Rafael Montero was shelled in Monday’s opener, while Hector Neris took a loss in the second contest of this series. The Astros’ bullpen sits at 2.90 ERA and 3.22 FIP for the season, but it has recorded a hideous 8.27 ERA in the last seven days and 16.1 innings of work.
Luis Garcia (9-8; 4.03 ERA; 1.13 WHIP) will toe the slab Thursday and meet the White Sox for the first time this season. The 25-year-old righty hasn’t impressed of late, surrendering four earned runs in three of his previous four outings.
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox registered their fifth win on the spin last Tuesday. Chicago improved to 61-56 on the season, occupying the second spot in the AL Central, one game behind the Cleveland Guardians.
In the last ten days, the Chi Sox’s bullpen has thrown 26.1 frames while tallying an underwhelming 4.10 ERA and .370 BABIP. Chicago’s offense continues to play in a shaky form. The White Sox have scored 48 runs in their previous 14 showings, racking up a mediocre .269/.322/.381 slash line.