ODDS ANALYSIS
The Orioles enter the series after losing three of four at home to Texas, capped by Thursday’s 2-0 loss which dropped them into a tie atop the AL East with the Yankees. The O’s were rolling prior to that series winning 18 of 23 games to reach the top spot in the division.
The Orioles come in with eight wins in their last 12 road games, but remain a careful bet on the road with a 14-20 overall record, down 4.25 units on the moneyline. The Orioles won two of three from the Sox earlier this season in Baltimore. The first win was played without fans during the rioting in the city and the teams split a makeup doubleheader on May 28.
After winning a series from the best team in baseball on the road, the Sox are hopeful the momentum carries over to their series with the Orioles. Everything went right for the Sox in Wednesday’s 7-1 win at St. Louis and their two-game sweep of the Cards capped a 4-4 road trip. The Sox return home where they won 18 of their first 33 games and played below the scoreline in each of their last eight games. The under is 24-8-1 at U.S. Cellular Field.
PITCHING MATCHUP
The Orioles haven’t committed to Bud Norris (2-7, 6.79 ERA) as the starter for this game, though it is his turn in the rotation. Norris hasn’t pitched well all season and he was roughed up again in his last outing, giving up four home runs among nine hits and five runs in six innings losing to Texas. He’s lost his last three starts and hasn’t pitched beyond six innings in any of his last six outings.
Carlos Rodon (3-1, 4.07 ERA) had his last turn in the rotation skipped in a designed move to reduce his workload. He’s expected to start Sunday while the Sox push Chris Sale back a day for extra rest. Rodon last worked on June 25, giving up eight hits and four runs with seven strikeouts over five innings at Detroit.
This will be Rodon’s first start against the O’s after tossing a perfect inning of relief with a strikeout on Apr. 29.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“They are obviously a good team and missing some key pieces, but you know it’s nice to come in here and beat a team like this. Offensively we put some runs up late, and the starting pitchers did what they did, and the bullpen did, too. There are some guys that are starting to swing it.” – White Sox manager Robin Ventura after sweeping the Cardinals.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
For the first time in a while the Sox put it all together. The result was a two-game sweep over the St. Louis Cardinals, the best team in baseball, on the road too. The wins gave the Sox hope. It’s really all they can ask for with the halfway point of the season fast approaching and a sizable hole to dig out of for postseason contention. Pitching hasn’t been a problem for the Sox. It’s just getting every other phase of the game at the same level. Those areas moved closer together over two days in St. Louis. In Wednesday’s 7-1 victory, five players had multi-hit games for an offense ranked last in the AL with 266 runs. The pitching thrived as well, limiting the Cards to two runs and 15 hits.
PROP TALK
Chris Davis spent much of the current season trying to make Baltimore fans forget about 2014. He might slowly be reaching his goal. He hit a pair of two-run home runs in Tuesday’s 8-6 loss to the Rangers to raise his average to .238, the highest it’s been since mid-May. It was also his second multi-homer game of the season. Davis is also adjusting to playing right field so the O’s can get Chris Parmalee in the lineup. The shift hasn’t affected his hitting and can only make the Orioles stronger on offense. Davis is a career .287 hitter with eight home runs in 129 at-bats against the Sox.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The White Sox have an advantage if Chris Sale gets the start, but it looks like the Sox are leaning toward giving Carlos Rodon a shot. The Sox rookie hasn’t tossed since June 25 and has to be anxious to get on the hill. With so much time off you’d expect some rust and the O’s have the sticks to take advantage. The O’s pitching lineup is even more jumbled than the Sox. Bud Norris is scheduled to pitch but he’s been horrible all season and the O’s might remove him with Kevin Gausman back in the rotation. However it plays out the Sox are showing signs of being a much better club than what we’re used to seeing. A little bit of offense can go a long way with Chicago’s solid group of starters.
Chicago 4, Baltimore 3
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox is scheduled for Sunday, July 5, 2015, at 2:10 p.m. ET at U.S. Cellular Field. The game will be televised live on WGN and MASN2.
