Royals vs White Sox Odds, Picks & Starting Pitchers (May 20)

It’s an American League Central matchup on Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field as the Kansas City Royals (14-31, 8-14 away) visit their divisional foes, the Chicago White Sox (16-29, 9-13 home). The first pitch is scheduled for 2:10 PM ET. It’s the second game of a three-game set.

Jordan Lyles looks for his first win here for the Royals, while Lucas Giolito takes the hill for the White Sox.

Royals vs White Sox Odds

Chicago comes in as the favorite with -175 moneyline odds here. Kansas City meanwhile sits at +150. They’ve actually won three of the last four meetings, too.

Odds as of May 19th at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Kansas City vs Chicago Probable Pitchers

Lyles is truly having an atrocious campaign for the Royals in 2023. The 32-year-old is 0-7 in nine starts with a putrid 7.14 ERA. He’s allowed 41 earned runs in 51.2 innings, walked 17, and struck out 38. The glaring issue? The long ball. Lyles has allowed 14 home runs.

The veteran is also coming off a brutal outing, surrendering seven earned in just 2.1 innings of work against the Milwaukee Brewers. In fact, Lyles has given up at least four runs in five straight starts.

Lyles vs Giolito Stats

Giolito is pitching relatively well this year, even though Chicago is in the gutter of the AL. The former first-round pick owns a 3.86 ERA and a 2-3 record in nine starts, striking out 56 in 53.2 frames while issuing just 11 free passes. Giolito’s improved control is definitely playing a crucial part in his success.

The right-hander was hit around a bit by the defending champion Houston Astros on May 14th, allowing four earned. But, he managed to battle and still toss six innings, ultimately taking the loss. Giolito has thrown a whopping 123.2 innings against the Royals, compiling a 3.64 ERA.

KC vs CHW – Last 10 Games

Royals Betting Analysis

By no surprise, Kansas City is one of the worst teams in the big leagues and ranks towards the bottom in nearly every important category. They’re scoring just four runs per game (24th), slashing .234 (23rd), and own an ERA of 5.26 (28th). Yes, the rebuild is in full force.

However, the Royals just took two out of three from the star-studded San Diego Padres on the road, which should be considered a feather in their cap. Hopefully, that gives them some momentum for this series.

White Sox Betting Analysis

No one expected the White Sox to be this bad. They’re 13 games below .500 and have shown no signs of potentially turning things around. That’s resulted in rumors that Chicago could blow it up at the trade deadline if things don’t get better.

While their offense is nothing to write home about, the biggest issue is their staff. They’ve pitched to a 5.29 ERA, which is 29th in the MLB. Basically, everyone except Giolito is struggling, even last year’s ace Dylan Cease.

Royals vs White Sox Picks

Lyles has to win a game eventually, right? But, I don’t believe it will be on Saturday. Giolito was dominant the last time he faced the Royals and I expect that to be the case again. Take the White Sox.