Royals vs. White Sox Odds
| Royals Odds | +188 |
| White Sox Odds | -225 |
| Over/Under | 9 |
| Time | 2:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | YouTube |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here. | |
The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals square off in a rubber match on Thursday afternoon.
Daniel Mengden (and his questionable facial hair) makes his first start of the season for the Royals against Johnny Cueto and the Chicago White Sox.
The White Sox's playoff hopes are on life support and the Royals seem to have the Sox's number this season. The Royals are 7-10 in the season series and have a great opportunity to really put a hurting on the Sox with a win on Thursday.
Kansas City Royals: Will Success Against Chicago Continue?
Daniel Mengden has pitched well in a small sample out of the bullpen for the Royals. Surprisingly, his career numbers are not that bad for someone who played in meaningful games for the Oakland A's and has now had to work his way up through the minors in Kansas City.
One thing is for sure — I hate his facial hair. Obviously, that is not a reason to fade anyone, but I just wanted to have that on the record.
The Royals' offense has slumped some since Vinnie Pasquantino hit the Injured List, but Kansas City seems to have found a working formula to consistently beat White Sox pitching this season.
Chicago White Sox: Can Cueto Get on Track at Home?
Johnny Cueto has been solid this season, but has struggled at home. Being a contact-oriented pitcher at Guaranteed Rate Field has not served him well this season as his ERA, FIP and xFIP are all over 4.00 at home, a stark contrast to his exceptional road numbers.
The White Sox offense has been okay over the past couple of weeks against right handers and it doesn't feel like a coincidence that they had a gritty win in their first game without Tony La Russa in the dugout.
Royals-White Sox Pick
Frankly, this game feels like a coin flip. The Miguel Cairo factor may have an impact on things as the Sox look to go 2-0 under their interim manager and make a final playoff push in September.
On the other side, Mengden is a funky pitcher who relies on deception and an unorthodox windup to get an edge on batters. Honestly, if you think of him more as an old timey villain, the mustache makes more sense — but I still hate it.
You know what else I hate? This match up. There is too much conflicting data and not enough information on Mengden this season to make an educated guess. It's probably best to pass on this one.
Pick: Pass
