Uncover the Game Forecast: Athletics vs White Sox Match Preview – 4/16/25

Athletics

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Chicago White Sox

On April 16, 2025, the Chicago White Sox will host the Oakland Athletics at Guaranteed Rate Field for the second game in their series. Both teams are struggling this season, with the White Sox sitting at 4-12 and the Athletics at 7-10. Each team has shown signs of inconsistency, and their standings reflect their current less-than-stellar performance. The White Sox are particularly desperate as they rank as the 30th best offense in MLB, while the Athletics come in at a more respectable 12th place, showcasing their ability to put runs on the board.

In their last matchup, the Athletics edged out the White Sox, continuing Chicago’s woes. On the mound, the White Sox are projected to start Jonathan Cannon, who has been unable to find his footing this season with an 0-2 record and an ERA of 5.79. Though his 5.20 xFIP indicates he may have been unlucky, he still faces a daunting challenge against a powerful Athletics lineup that has already belted 23 home runs this year, ranking 6th in the league.

On the other side, the Athletics will counter with Osvaldo Bido, who has managed a solid ERA of 3.00 this season. However, his 4.93 xFIP suggests that he may be riding a wave of good fortune. Bido will need to navigate the White Sox’s high-flyball tendencies, which could lead to explosive outcomes given the Athletics’ power.

Betting odds currently favor the Athletics with a moneyline of -150, implying a likely win for them at 58%. The low game total of 7.5 runs reflects the expectation of a tighter contest, but with the White Sox’s offensive woes, the projections lean toward a solid performance from Bido and the Athletics.

Athletics Insights

• Osvaldo Bido – Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts (+130/-165)
  Osvaldo Bido’s 93.1-mph velocity on his fastball this year is a big 1.7-mph drop off from last year’s 94.8-mph figure.
  Explain: Velocity is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs, so a pitcher whose velocity decreases will likely see worse results.
• Brent Rooker – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+135/-180)
  This season, Brent Rooker has experienced a significant increase in his exit velocity on flyballs, now sitting at an average of 100.6 mph compared to last year’s 96.7 mph mark.
  Explain: Most home runs are flyballs, and the harder those flyballs are hit, the more often they turn into home runs. This is a strong indicator of power.
• Shea Langeliers – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-180/+140)
  Shea Langeliers pulls many of his flyballs (37.5% — 95th percentile) and will have a big advantage hitting them towards the game’s 5th-shallowest LF fences today.
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.

Chicago White Sox Insights

• Jonathan Cannon – Over/Under 16.5 Pitching Outs (-105/-125)
  Jonathan Cannon has a mean projection of 16.9 outs in this game, as forecasted by the leading projection system (THE BAT X).
  Explain: THE BAT X is a highly sophisticated projection system that accounts for a multitude of factors like ballpark, weather, umpire, defense, and more.
• Omar Narvaez – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (+105/-135)
  Omar Narvaez is an extreme flyball hitter and squares off against the weak outfield defense of Sacramento (#1-worst of all teams 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 – Moneyline (+135)
  The 4th-worst projected batting order of all teams today in terms of overall hitting skill is that of the Chicago White Sox.
  Explain: A pitcher who faces a weak opposing offense will be more likely to exceed his usual performance, particularly in terms of hits and runs, in that game.

Betting Trends

• Chicago White Sox – Over/Under 1.5 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total (-115/-115)
  The Chicago White Sox have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Over in 83 of their last 157 games (+4.75 Units / 3% ROI)
• Athletics – Over/Under 4.5 Team Total (+105/-135)
  The Athletics have hit the Team Total Over in 7 of their last 10 games (+3.00 Units / 24% ROI)
• Tyler Soderstrom – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-170/+135)
  Tyler Soderstrom has hit the Hits Over in his last 8 away games (+8.00 Units / 59% ROI)