White Sox Could Struggle to Extend Winning Streak Hosting Astros

The Chicago White Sox are just 1-4 in their last five games against the Houston Astros. The White Sox will try to turn their luck against Houston around with a win at home this Friday night in the first game of a three-game series between these two teams in Chicago.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Astros opened as -137 road favorites in Chicago but have been bet down slightly to Houston -120. The White Sox are going off as +110 underdogs on Friday and the total has settled in at 8.5 runs since Sportsbook at nine runs. Houston is 4-2 in its last five road games against the White Sox.

Starting Pitchers Analysis

Lance McCullers Jr. is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career in 2021 with a 6-2 record, a 2.94 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP with 89 strikeouts in 79.2 innings pitched. McCullers Jr. has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 of his 14 starts including each of his last five starts. Houston is 8-2 in McCullers Jr.’s last 10 starts.

Dylan Cease owns a 7-4 record with a 4.11 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 92 innings pitched this season. Cease has had a feast-or-famine type of season, allowing two earned runs or less in seven of his last 11 starts and five or more earned runs in the other five games over that stretch. The 25-year-old allowed six earned runs in 3.1 innings against the Astros on June 17.

Houston News & Notes

Houston snapped a three-game losing streak with an 8-7 win in its final game before the all-star break. The Astros finished the first half of the season tied with the Boston Red Sox for the second best record in the American League ay 55-36. The White Sox have a slightly higher winning percentage with their 54-35 record thus far.

Even after scoring only one run across their three-game losing streak before the break, the Astros still have the best offense in the majors with 5.45 runs scored per game and a .269 team batting average. Houston also ranks ninth in the majors in team ERA with a 3.60. The club enters the second half of the season with a 19-8 record over its last 27 games.

Chicago News & Notes

The White Sox are building off of their strong 2020 campaign with another excellent one in 2021, compiling a 54-35 record with the third-best run production in the majors averaging 5.12 runs per game and the eighth best team ERA in the major with a 3.58. Chicago closed out the first half of the season on a 10-3 run after suffering through a 1-7 slump back in late June.

This is clearly a talented squad, but it faces the same criticism as last year’s group did; the wins come too easily in the dreadful AL Central. Chicago has an eight-game lead in the Central and a 30-15 record against divisional opponents this season; against teams outside of the division, the White Sox are a more pedestrian 24-20. This series against Houston and an upcoming road series against the Milwaukee Brewers should be good tests for Chicago.