ODDS ANALYSIS
The White Sox feel they still have time to turn their season around and recent solid outings from their starting rotation gives them hope. However, the club continues to struggle producing runs and hasn’t been very good on the road.
An improvement in those areas could have the Sox making some strides in the second half. Tuesday’s 6-2 win at Minnesota broke a seven-game road losing streak and their run total was the most since scoring nine times at Texas on June 3. The Sox, however, remain a bad road bet at 13-24 down 10.08 units on the moneyline.
After falling to .500 at 34-34 with a 14-3 loss at New York on Sunday, the Tigers woke up with three straight wins scoring 27 times in the streak. They cashed the over in a sixth straight game with a 7-3 win at Cleveland on Tuesday and the over is 8-2 in their last 10. Detroit played over the scoreline in each of Alfredo Simón’s last three starts and both times he started against the White Sox this season. The Tigers have won five of the nine meetings this season and took two of three when the teams met in Detroit in mid April.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Carlos Rodon (3-1, 3.75 ERA) put the worst start of his young career behind him with a nice bounce back effort, limiting the Rangers to two runs over six innings in Saturday’s win for his fifth quality start in the last six outings. He gave up seven runs and nine hits in 3.2 innings to the Pirates previously.
Rodon will face the Tigers for the first time when he makes his ninth career start.
Alfredo Simón (7-4, 3.29 ERA) had his worst start of the season, statistically, Saturday at Yankee Stadium, with seven runs on eight hits over just 2.2 innings. The clunker of a start was somewhat surprising, as Simón has posted respectable numbers all season.
Simón will make his first home start against the White Sox this season after going 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two turns at U.S. Cellular Field. He’s 2-0 in six career games – two starts – with a 4.15 ERA over 17.1 innings.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“The funny and scary thing is he can get a lot better. His stuff is that good where he’s able to get by with missing some spots here and there. If he can hone in the command, which has gotten a whole lot better, then we’ll have two [Chris] Sales.” – White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers on Carlos Rodon, who he caught in his last start.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
It took Victor Martinez a few games to get back in the swing of things, but now that he has the Tigers offense has come to life. We can’t say he’s solely responsible, but boy did the Tigers miss him when he was shelved for a month with a bum knee. After the Tigers dropped to .500 with Saturday’s embarrassing 14-3 loss at the Yankees, they responded by winning the next three games scoring 27 runs in the process. Martinez played a big part of the outburst with six hits in 15 at-bats including a home run and seven RBIs. The other big guns in the lineup have benefitted from his return with Miguel Cabrera hitting .545 in the three games and Yoenis Cespedes clubbing five hits with a homer and three RBIs.
PROP TALK
The Tigers have the most destructive hitter in baseball on their roster and he’s been on a tear. Miguel Cabrera had a pair of hits in his third straight game and for the fourth time in five games in Tuesday’s win at Cleveland. Since June 9 the Tigers’ slugger is hitting .489 (22 for 45) with 11 runs, three homers and 14 RBIs. He’s never faced Carlos Rodon, but that shouldn’t matter for Cabrera, who hits .319 in his career against left-handed pitching. Detroit’s offense got a kickstart with the return of Victor Martinez and Cabrera enjoys having some protection in the lineup. Expect him to go off against Rodon and the Sox.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The White Sox have the makeup of a real solid rotation with rookie Carlos Rodon being a major part of it. Along with Chris Sale and Jeff Samardzija, the top three can be dominant. Rodon showed he’s ready to take control of his spot with a nice effort in his last outing after getting tagged by Pittsburgh in his worst start of the year previously. But it doesn’t matter how good the pitching is if you can’t score runs and that’s been a problem for the Sox all season as they continue to thumb wrestle with the Mariners for fewest runs scored and lowest batting average in the AL. Alfredo Simón isn’t overpowering and the Sox can get to him for enough to pull out the victory.
Chicago 4, Detroit 3
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
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 Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers is scheduled for Thursday, June 25, 2015, at 1:08 p.m. ET at Comerica Park. The game will be televised live on WGN and FSD.
