A key battle on the MLB odds menu sees visiting Kansas City duelling Chicago on Friday at U.S. Cellular Field.

Bruce Chen, with a record of 11-8 on the season, gets the ball for the Royals, while the White Sox trot Zach Stewart to the mound in this one. He is 2-5 so far in 2011.



View Kansas City vs Chi White Sox Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had set the White Sox as -125 favorites on the Sportsbook moneyline for this contest. The over under opened at 9 for bettors hoping to turn a profit on totals.

Power Rankings:
It's a baseball betting matchup between the American League No. 6-rated White Sox and the league No. 9-ranked Royals, according to the latest MLB power poll here at Odds Shark.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Chicago's No. 11 ranked American League offense (4.1 runs per game) against a Royals defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 12 in the American League at 4.8 runs allowed per game. The White Sox have been averaging 8.7 hits per game, less than the Royals have managed so far this season (9.6 hits on average).

Comparing defensive stats, Kansas City owns the American League's No. 13-rated road mark, allowing 4.9 runs per game on the highway. Chicago, on the other hand, rates No. 10 in scoring at home.

Kansas City lost its last outing, a 6-3 result against the Tigers on September 21. Bettors who backed the Tigers at -110 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (9) sent OVER bettors to the payout window. The Royals were saddled with a loss last time out in Felipe Paulino's start, as they lost 6-3 against Detroit on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium.

In their last action, Chicago was a 11-2 loser on the road against the Indians. Bettors on Cleveland at -114 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (13) sent OVER bettors home happy as well. Chicago didn't get the job done in their last match, falling 11-2 to Cleveland on Thursday at Progressive Field.


Kansas City Royals Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Chi White Sox are 6-4
After playing Detroit are 2-8
After a loss are 6-4

Chicago White Sox Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Kansas City are 3-7
After playing Cleveland are 3-7
After a loss are 4-6

A few Royals at White Sox trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
Kansas City is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chi White Sox's last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Chi White Sox's last 16 games
Chi White Sox are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games when playing at home against Kansas City


Next up:
Kansas City at Chi White Sox, Saturday, September 24