MLB Pick: Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros

The Houston Astros (59-31 Overall, 27-17 Home), who are first in the AL West and have the second-best record in baseball, host the Chicago White Sox (30-56 Overall, 14-31 Away) today at 4:10 p.m. E.T. Chicago sits in fourth place in the AL Central, 20 games behind first-place Cleveland. They have lost three in a row, including their last two to the Astros, while the home team is on a four-game winning streak. Our Chicago plays Houston 2018 MLB pick has the Astros with at -157 (-1.5) and the White Sox at +148 (+1.5). The over/under is -120 with the over 8.0 runs and +100 at under 8.0. The moneyline offers the visitors at +280 and the home team at -315. In their last 10 games, the Sox have gone 3-7, while the Astros are 7-3.

Pitching Matchup

Overall, Chicago pitching has had a tough go of it, as opponents are hitting .255 against them and they’ve posted an ERA of 4.87. In contrast, Astro hurlers are holding opponents to a batting average of .209 and have notched an impressive 2.86 ERA. Houston’s WHIP is 1.05, while Chicago’s is 1.47.

Two righties start today. It’s James Shields (3-9 W/L, 4.12 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) for the visitors. Shields has faced Houston once this season. That was on April 20 when he lasted 5.1 innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits. The White Sox lost that game 10-0. In June, Shields was 2-4. His last start, which was a 5-3 loss to the Reds on July 2, he went 6.2 innings, giving up just one run on four hits. He got a no-decision. His last win was on June 27 against Minnesota where he lasted seven innings and allowed no runs on four hits.

Charlie Morton (10-2 W/L, 2.55 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) gets the nod for the Astros. He pitched well in his last start, which was against Tampa Bay on July 1. In 6.2 innings, he gave up two runs on six hits, but lost 3-2. Prior to that game, he had posted three straight wins. He had a solid April and May, earning a record of 7-0-4. Morton struggled a bit in early June, but has since gotten back on track. He has not faced the White Sox this season.

Hitting

The Astros are the better hitting team too. They’ve posted a team batting average of .263, while the White Sox are 20 points lower at .243. Houston’s OBP stands at .337 and their SLG is at .436. In contrast, Chicago possesses an OBP of .302 and a SLG of .403.

When it comes to hitting for average, the White Sox struggle. Jose Abreu tops the team with a .262 BA. He’s also first in RBI (50), hits (88), and doubles (27). Tim Anderson, who is batting .251, has 20 steals, 13 homers, and 34 RBI. Matt Davidson, who is hitting just .228, leads the team in homeruns with 14. His OBP is .339, which is best for this team. Yolmer Sanchez, who’s second in BA with a .258 mark, has contributed 41 RBI and has nine triples and 17 doubles.

For the Astros, Jose Altuve and Yuli Gurriel are first and second in batting average with the former at .337 and the latter .300. Altuve tops the team in OBP (.404) and hits (119). He also has 12 SB, 43 RBI, and 23 doubles, while Gurriel has accumulated 42 RBI and 21 doubles. Catcher Evan Gattis, who’s batting .253, leads the team in homers with 18 and RBI with 61. Alex Bregman, batting .279, has smacked 16 homers, hit a team-best 28 doubles, and driven in 55 runs.

Our Chicago Plays Houston 2018 MLB Pick

The home team’s starting pitching looks solid today, and we think the Astros will do well against this struggling White Sox team. Houston has a solid pen and a good group of hitters. The White Sox are 0-5 against the Astros this season. Our Chicago plays Houston 2018 MLB pick is the Astros at -157 (-1.5). We also like the over 8.0 runs at -120.

Summary White Sox at Astros Free Picks: Houston at -157 (-1.5) and over 8.0 runs (-120)