Guardians vs White Sox Odds, Predictions, Picks

Guardians vs White Sox Predictions

The Cleveland Guardians are still in the race for the AL Central title, entering Thursday just two games back of the Minnesota Twins. The Chicago White Sox are more or less out of that race, trailing the Twins by 12 games. On Thursday night, they will meet in Chicago, as the White Sox look to end their current slide, while the Guardians aim to pick up a win to continue to put the pressure on the first-place Twins.

Cleveland Guardians Predictions

Cleveland enters this matchup with the White Sox having won two games in a row, though that may not be cause for celebration just yet. Those two straight wins came against the Kansas City Royals, who have the second-worst record in all of baseball this season. Here, the Guardians will face a slightly tougher challenge, as they face a Chicago White Sox team that will have its ace on the mound.

For the Guardians, the only thing holding them back this season has been their complete lack of power at the plate. They are in the top half of the league in team batting average, but they are dead last in home runs as a team. Finding some power against Dylan Cease will be key, as he is not a pitcher that typically allows strings of hits within an inning to give a team a chance to rally without the long ball.

On the mound for the Guardians, meanwhile, will be Tanner Bibee, who has pitched well this year for the Guardians. He enters this matchup at 6-2, with a 3.04 ERA, while allowing less than a hit per inning for the Guardians. He will need to be at or near his best in this game, as the pitching matchup with Cease could be one of the toughest he has faced this season.

Chicago White Sox Predictions

The Chicago White Sox go into Thursday on a five-game losing streak, having lost three straight to the Minnesota Twins before dropping two straight to the Chicago Cubs. In those two games against the Cubs, the White Sox gave up 17 combined runs, as their pitching staff simply could not keep up with their crosstown rivals. Here, the White Sox send their top arm to the mound, in hopes that Dylan Cease can help them get back into the win column.

So far this season, Cease is 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA, striking out an impressive 138 batters in 113.2 innings of work. He has just one start in the last two months, though, as a lack of consistent run support has plagued him throughout the 2023 season. Here, he will need some help from his bats in order to pick up another win and to stop the bleeding for this White Sox team with August just around the corner.

Cease has pitched twice against the Guardians already this year, going 1-1 against them in those two outings. In 12.1 innings of work in those two games, Cease has allowed five earned runs, giving up three in a loss and two runs in a win, with both of those starts coming in mid-May. The margin for error for Cease is slim at this point in time, and he will need to have a strong showing if his team is going to have a shot to win this matchup.