Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins
(-110/-110)-325
On August 2, 2024, the Minnesota Twins will host the Chicago White Sox at Target Field for the opening game of a series. The Twins are enjoying a solid season with a record of 59-48, while the White Sox are struggling significantly at 27-84. This matchup in the American League Central features a stark contrast in performance, as the Twins currently rank 6th in MLB offense, while the White Sox sit at the bottom of the league at 30th.
The Twins have been bolstered by the strong performances of their best hitter, Matt Wallner, who has shined recently, posting a .385 batting average and 1.467 OPS over the last week. In contrast, the White Sox’s best hitter over the same period, Paul DeJong, has recorded a respectable .353 average but lacks the same power impact.
On the mound, Joe Ryan is projected to start for the Twins. Ryan has had an up-and-down year, with a 6-7 Win/Loss record and a 3.69 ERA, but his 2.84 xERA suggests he has been unfortunate and could be due for a turnaround. He projects to pitch an average of 6.0 innings while allowing 2.2 earned runs, which is solid against a White Sox lineup that has struggled to generate offense. Notably, Ryan is a high-flyball pitcher facing a team that ranks 28th in home runs this season, which may play to his advantage.
On the other side, the White Sox will send Davis Martin to the mound. Martin, who has struggled in a limited role, projects to pitch just 3.6 innings, allowing 2.4 earned runs. His high 5.97 xFIP indicates he may be in for a tough outing against a potent Twins lineup.
With the Twins as massive betting favorites and an implied team total of 5.30 runs, this game presents a favorable opportunity for them to capitalize on the White Sox’s struggles, both offensively and on the mound.
Chicago White Sox Insights
- Miguel Vargas – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-130/+100)Miguel Vargas is an extreme flyball hitter and matches up with the weak outfield defense of Minnesota (#3-worst on the slate today).Explain: This player’s skill set matches up well with the opposing team’s defensive weakness, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.
- Chicago White Sox – 2H MoneylineThe Chicago White Sox bullpen grades out as the worst in MLB, via the leading projection system (THE BAT).Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a weak bullpen sneakily creates an easier matchup for the opposing offense and boosts a game’s runs.
Minnesota Twins Insights
- Joe Ryan – Over/Under 18.5 Pitching Outs (-105/-125)Joe Ryan has tallied 18.1 outs per outing this year, grading out in the 92nd percentile.Explain: A pitcher who averages more outs per start than his Outs prop may be a good bet to go over, and visa-versa for the under.
- Willi Castro – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-260/+195)Willi Castro has primarily hit in the back-half of the batting order this season (61% of the time), but he is projected to bat 1st in the lineup in this matchup.Explain: The higher in the order a player bats, the more plate appearances he will get and the more opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits higher in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting lower.
- Byron Buxton – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+105/-135)Byron Buxton pulls many of his flyballs (42.2% — 100th percentile) and will have to hit them out towards baseball’s 11th-deepest LF fences in today’s matchup.Explain: This player’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.
Betting Trends
- Over/Under 8.5 Game Total (-110/-110)The Minnesota Twins have hit the Game Total Over in 22 of their last 33 games (+10.15 Units / 28% ROI)
- Chicago White Sox – Over/Under 2.5 Team Total (-140/+110)The Chicago White Sox have hit the Team Total Under in 13 of their last 20 away games (+5.20 Units / 22% ROI)
- Lenyn Sosa – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-170/+130)Lenyn Sosa has hit the Hits Over in 10 of his last 11 away games (+8.45 Units / 39% ROI)