The MLB betting action goes on with ten games on Thursday, June 10, so here’s the best Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago White Sox betting pick, as these two American League foes wrap up a three-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.
The White Sox won the opener this past Tuesday, 6-1, satisfying the odds as -139 home favorites. They were listed at -154 to win the middle contest that’s excluded from this analysis, and the Chi Sox opened as slight +105 home dogs for Thursday’s closer. The visitors are -115 moneyline favorites with a total of 8.0 runs on DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Blue Jays are slowly losing the pace with the Rays and Red Sox
The Toronto Blue Jays fell to 30-28 on the season following that 6-1 defeat at Guaranteed Rate Field. It was their third loss in the last four outings and 11th in their previous 18 games overall, so the Blue Jays were sitting at the fourth spot of the AL East standings on Wednesday, trailing 5.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox and seven behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
Toronto is scoring 4.88 runs per game (tied-7th in the majors) on a .258/.323/.439 slash line. The Blue Jays’ slugging percentage is the best in the big leagues, and their OPS of .762 is second-best right behind the Houston Astros.
On the other side of the ball, the Blue Jays allow 4.34 runs per contest (15th). However, their pitching staff has recorded the highest ERA over the last seven days (6.43). Hyun-Jin Ryu will toe the slab Thursday, and the 34-year-old lefty is 5-3 with a 3.23 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 11 starts this season. He’s never met the White Sox before.
The White Sox comfortably top the AL Central
The Chicago White Sox improved to 37-23 on the season following Tuesday’s victory over Toronto. They were four games ahead of the Cleveland Indians and 7.5 ahead of the Kansas City Royals, as the Chi Sox continue to lead the way in the American League Central.
Chicago is tallying 4.95 runs per game (3rd in the majors) while slashing .255/.341/.409. The White Sox have won nine of their last 12 games overall, and during that stretch, they’ve recorded the seventh-best OPS in baseball (.753).
The Chi Sox are yielding only 3.45 runs per game (2nd). Dallas Keuchel will get the starting call Thursday, and the 33-year-old southpaw is 4-1 with a 4.25 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 12 starts this season. He’s 4-0 with a 4.78 ERA in six career starts against Toronto, though Keuchel hasn’t met the Blue Jays since 2018.
Trends:
Toronto:
- 2-5 in the last seven games against the White Sox
- 1-4 in the last five games against the American League
Chi Sox:
- 9-3 in the last 12 games overall
- 8-1 in the last nine contests at home
Predictions
Hyun-Jin Ryu hasn’t been at his best lately. Last time out, he’s yielded six earned runs on seven hits and three walks through 5.2 innings of work in a 13-1 home loss to the Astros. Ryu will try to bounce back, but he’ll have a mountain to climb against the White Sox who are 14-4 against the left-handed starting pitchers in 2021.
The Chi Sox are slashing .272/.349/.462 against southpaws, so I’m backing them to win this clash as underdogs. It’s a tough wager, as we should see a tight contest between a couple of very talented teams.
Pick: Take Chicago White Sox at +105
The Total:
Betting on the over is my best choice for this American League showdown. As I’ve mentioned above, both teams possess plenty of dangerous offensive weapons. The White Sox are killing it against the lefties, while the Blue Jays will be keen to get things going against Dallas Keuchel.
Over his last five starts, Keuchel is 3-0 despite surrendering 15 earned runs across 27.2 frames of work in that span. I think the Blue Jays should easily score a few runs off Dallas. They are slashing .253/.317/.421 against the lefties this term.
Pick: Go over 8.0 runs at -120