Angels vs. White Sox Odds
| Angels Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
+125 | 9 +100 / -120 | +1.5 -165 |
| White Sox Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
| -145 | 9 +100 / -120 | -1.5 +140 |
Memorial Day weekend could have gone a bit better for the Angels and White Sox, who collectively managed just one win in their respective series. Now, it's time to turn the page and find a way to gain the upper hand in this enticing three-game set at Guaranteed Rate Field.
With the way Michael Kopech is pitching, is there any sense in fading the home team here?
Let's get into it in our Angels vs. White Sox Monday preview and prediction.
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Los Angeles Angels
Just when it seemed like things were looking up, the Angels offense is once again down bad. After beating up on some middling Twins and Red Sox pitching, they welcomed the Marlins to L.A. just to score seven runs in three games. The effort culminated in a combined shutout at the hands of Miami on Sunday.
L.A. now owns a 108 wRC+ in the last two weeks of play, striking out in 25.4% of its plate appearances and hitting a disappointing .257 when you consider the team owns a .320 BABIP over this span.
That's not what you want to read when Griffin Canning is getting set to start for the Angels. The 27-year-old has continued his run of consistent mediocrity, pitching to a 4.95 ERA and 4.46 xERA this season. His strikeout rate has fallen to 19.1% though his ground ball rate has shot up to 46.8%.
The bad news with all this contact is that Canning's hard-hit rate is back up to 43.2% and his expected batting average has remained in line with what we saw last year. He's still very much learning how to pitch to contact.
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have been slumping terribly over the last couple of weeks, and own a 55 wRC+ in the last seven days. They haven't even been had a huge bout with strikeouts, they're simply not making good contact. The White Sox's ISO is a low .115 in the last seven days and they're batting just .204 — though a .256 BABIP offers a slight bit of hope considering that number is .286 for the season.
Chicago has also loved to hit the ball on the ground with a 45.4% ground ball rate, which ranks fourth in the league. Interestingly enough, amid their slump the White Sox are hitting the ball on the ground just 40.3% of the time, which ranks 18th among all teams in the last week. So, it's possible a ground ball pitcher could help them out of their funk.
Speaking of getting out of a funk, we have to talk about how good Kopech has been. Sure, his 10-game sample isn't very good, but over the last two starts he's begun to really find his feel again.
He's now struck out 19 batters across his last two starts, which have seen him spin 15 shutout frames with just three hits and a walk charged to his line. The former prospect has struggled with home runs and walks this season, but it seems he's getting over those issues.
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Angels vs. White Sox Betting Pick
With Kopech's recent run of form and the Angels' huge issues at the plate — particularly in the strikeout department — I believe he's in line for a great start here on Monday.
On the other side of the coin, Canning has been giving up loads of contact and that should play into the White Sox's favor when you consider their poor BABIP luck.
I see plenty of value on the short home favorites here and will continue to buy low on Kopech as he resurrects his season.
Pick: White Sox Moneyline (-140 at BetMGM)
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