White Sox win total odds: Over/under prediction and pick for 2023
The All-Star break officially ends on friday and FanDuel has released some midseason win total props. Check out our MLB odds series as we hand out a Chicago White Sox win total over/under prediction and pick.
The White Sox are eight games back in the American League Central division and have a record of 38-54. Chicago is batting just .237, which puts them in the bottom-10 of the MLB. They also have the fourth worst OPS and eighth fewest runs scored in all of baseball. Chicago has some talent at the plate, but they can not stay healthy and almost none of them are performing at the level they should be. Luis Robert Jr and Eloy Jimenez are doing pretty good, but the rest are just average. Andrew Benintendi leads the team with a .280 average, but he has just one home run on the season. Tim Anderson is batting .223 with zero home runs, as well. The White Sox hitters need to find a way to get hot in the final 70 games of the season.
On the mound, the White Sox have not been much better. They own the seventh highest ERA, ninth highest WHIP and their staff has walked the second most people in the MLB. Lucas Giolito is their best pitcher, but Michael Kopech and Dylan Cease have respectable numbers, as well. In the bullpen, the White Sox could be much better. Kendall Graveman and Gregory Santos are good, but the rest of their bullpen has been average at best. The Sox need to clean up their pitching in a major way if they want to win some games these last few months.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Chicago White Sox Win Total Odds
Over 71.5 games: -130
Under 71.5 games: +104
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Why The White Sox Will Win 71.5 Games
For the White Sox to get to 72 wins on the season, they need to go 34-36 the rest of the season. It is unclear what the White Sox are going to do with some of their better players, but if Dylan Cease and Lucas Giolito stay, it is possible for them to win 34 games. A lot of their players are not playing up to their potential, either. Tim Anderson is not hitting how he usually does, Andrew Benintendi only has one home run on the year and Yoan Moncada has not played since early June. If the White Sox can find a way to get it together after the All-Star break and start clicking as a team, they have the pieces to be dangerous.
The good news is the White Sox play in one of the weakest divisions in baseball. The Guardians lead the division, but they are just 45-45. The White Sox do trail by eight games, but a little win streak could change all that. Chicago is 15-11 against AL Central opponents and they still have 26 games remaining against them. If they can win 15 to 18 of those 26 games, they could easily find themselves in the division hunt and be reluctant to trade players like Cease, Giolito and Anderson. Not to mention, the White Sox still have the Nationals, Cubs and Rockies on their schedule as well. Chicago plays a lot of winnable games the rest of the season, they just need to capitalize.
Why The White Sox Won't Win 71.5 Games
The White Sox could very well be sellers at the trade deadline. They have multiple players that other teams would love to have on their roster when it comes time to make a postseason run. Being fourth place in their division, the White Sox could be inclined to sell these players for prospects and some major league ready talent. Cease, Giolito and Anderson are just a few of the players that could be traded by Chicago. That is two of their better starting pitchers and a hitter that can make an impact at the top of the order. Without these players, the White Sox will struggle to win games.
After the break, the White Sox have some tough series. They go on the road to take on the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Minnesota Twins. The Mets are below .500, but they do have a winning record at home. That is nine tough games coming out of the All-Star break. The White Sox could easily go just 2-7 in those games. After that, they still have the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox on their schedule. That is 30 total games against quality competition including the nine already mentioned. They also have the Twins and Guardians, who are not great, but they do pose a threat as they are divsion opponents and could make some good trades to bolster their squads. Needless to say, Chicago does not have the easiest second half schedule.
Final Chicago White Sox Win Total Prediction
There is reason to believe the White Sox could make a second half run. However, I do not see that happening. Chicago is more likely to trade some of their better players than resign them, so I expect the team to regress a little more. I do not see the White Sox winning more than 70 games this season.
Final Chicago White Sox Win Total Prediction: Under 71.5 (+104)
