The Houston Astros (33-39) travel to face off against the Chicago White Sox (19-54) on Tuesday, June 18th. This game will be played at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago and televised on NBCS. The Astros are coming off a win in their previous game, while the White Sox are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Diamondbacks. First pitch is set for 7:10 CT.
Astros vs White Sox
The Astros’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Tigers, closing out their series with a 4-1 win. After allowing one run to the Tigers in the top of the first, the Astros responded with three runs of their own. Houston went on to add another run in the 2nd inning.
Ronel Blanco put together a good start for the Astros, going seven innings, and didn’t give up a run. He also issued just three walks and struck out eight Tigers batters. Jose Altuve was hot at the plate, going 2/3 with a homer and three RBIs.
Houston is 33-39 overall heading into today’s road matchup vs. the White Sox. They are nine games behind the Mariners in the AL West and are 15-12 in divisional games. The Astros closed out their series vs. the Tigers with two straight wins and are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
At home, the Astros are an even 19-19 this season while going 14-20 on the road. So far, they have really struggled as the favorite, going 26-31, compared to 7-8 as the underdog. This season, Houston’s overall series record is 11-11-1.
When it comes to betting the run line, the Astros have been a tough team to figure out. They have a run line record of 31-41, and they are 14-20 on the run line on the road. They are 23-34 on the run line as the favorite, but just 8-7 as the underdog. Their average run margin for the season is +0.1 runs per game, but that number jumps up to +0.7 runs per game at home.
The Houston Astros are on the road against the Chicago White Sox today. The over/under line for the game is 8.5 runs. The combined run average in Astros games this season is 8.8 runs per game. Houston’s over/under record for the season is 26-43, and their average over/under line for games is 9 runs. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, the Astros have a record of 6-13. This season, 41.7% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher.
Framber Valdez Gets The Start For The Astros
Framber Valdez is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Giants, as he gets the start for the Astros today. In that June 12th start, he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in four innings of work. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts. Valdez has a record of 5-4 this season and an ERA of 3.99. Opponents are batting .256 off the left-hander this year. Valdez has made six quality starts this year and is averaging 6.78 strikeouts per nine innings. So far, he has allowed six homers and is averaging 2.53 walks per nine innings.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Astros are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a better team at home, averaging 4.8 runs per game and have the league’s 4th best home run total. As a team, the Astros are batting .258, which is the 2nd best mark in the league.
Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez have been swinging the bat well of late, with Altuve going 14/37 in his last nine games and Alvarez going 11/33. For the season, Alvarez is 2nd on the team with 37 RBIs and has 14 home runs. Kyle Tucker is the team’s top power threat, as he is 4th in the league with 19 homers.
The White Sox will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Diamondbacks with a 12-5 loss. Chicago was the +150 underdog on the road going into this matchup. Things started off well for the White Sox, as they got on the board with a run in the 3rd inning but gave up the lead right away as the Diamondbacks scored three times in the bottom of the first.
Chicago started Drew Thorpe, and he took the loss, going only 3 1/3 innings, and giving up seven earned runs. The White Sox’s offense scored their other four runs in the 3rd but didn’t have another run after that. Andrew Vaughn and Tommy Pham each had three hits. Vaughn drove in three runs, and Pham scored one run.
With a record of 19-54, the White Sox are 5th in the AL Central and trail the Guardians by 27 games. So far, they have really struggled against other AL Central teams, going 5-19. Chicago has really struggled on the road, putting together a mark of 7-31.
At home, the White Sox are 12-23 this year. They have yet to win a series this year, coming in with an overall series record of 4-17-2. As the underdog, Chicago is 16-54 this year, and they are 3-0 as the favorite.
When the White Sox win, they do so by an average of 2.9 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.9 runs per game. Overall, they are 32-41 against the run line, including 17-18 at home and 15-23 on the road. They are 3-0 against the run line as the favorite and 29-41 as the underdog.
The Chicago White Sox are home today against the Houston Astros, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. The White Sox have a combined run average of 8.4 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 35-35. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 9-7. Overall, 19.2% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs, and their over streak is at 2 games.
Jonathan Cannon Gets The Start For The White Sox
Jonathan Cannon will be making his third start of the season for the White Sox, and he is coming off a strong outing against the Mariners. Cannon went seven innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out seven. In his first start of the year, he took a loss against the Twins, and he has a no-decision in his only home start of the year.
White Sox Offense Breakdown
Chicago’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, as they are last in the league in both team batting average and on-base percentage. The White Sox are averaging just 3.1 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. Not only are they the worst scoring team in the league, but they also have one of the worst slugging percentages and OPS marks in the league.
Paul DeJong and Andrew Vaughn have been the White Sox’s top power threats this season, with DeJong leading the team with 14 homers and Vaughn’s nine homers being the 2nd most on the team. Vaughn has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 11/30 in his last seven games, with three homers and nine RBIs. DeJong is also on a three-game hitting streak.
Astros vs White Sox Prediction
Our prediction is that the Astros will come out on top by a score of 6-4. However, with the payout for an Astros win being just -207, we recommend taking the over, as the line is sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at today’s starting pitchers, Framber Valdez is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the third-best among all starters. As for White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon, he is projected to finish with five K’s.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 18, 2024 Astros, White Sox