Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros Betting Pick & Prediction 8/17/24

At 7:10 PM ET, the Astros and White Sox face off in an AL matchup. This one is taking place at Minute Maid Park in Houston, and the Astros are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -384. The White Sox are +305 on the money line, and they are currently 5th in the AL Central, with a record of 30-93.

Chicago is starting Chris Flexen, while the Astros will have Hunter Brown on the mound. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and the under is paying out at -104 compared to -117 for the over.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX VS HOUSTON ASTROS BETTING PICK

The Pick: OVER 8 Runs

This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 7:10 ET on Saturday, August 17th.

HOW TO BET THE WHITE SOX VS ASTROS:

• We have the Astros winning by a score of 5 to 4
• However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the White Sox to cover
• As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over

It was all Chicago in the last game of this series, as the White Sox took down the Astros by a score of 5-4. The White Sox offense only had two more hits than the Astros and struck out seven times, but still picked up a win. Heading into the game, they were at +221 on the money line.

Houston had a chance to win the game in the 9th inning, as they scored one run and had the tying run on first base. However, Chad Kuhl came in for the save for the White Sox. Justin Anderson got the win out of the bullpen.

Garrett Crochet only went four innings for the White Sox but gave up just one hit and one earned run. Spencer Arrighetti struggled on the mound for the Astros, giving up four runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.

White Sox Records & Stats

With an overall record of 30-93, the White Sox are in 5th place in the AL Central and trail the Guardians by 42.5 games. So far, they have really struggled against other AL Central teams, going 8-34 this year. The White Sox have taken the first game of their series vs. the Astros and have lost 12 straight series.

Chicago has really struggled on the road this year, going 12-49 compared to an 18-44 mark at home. The White Sox have really struggled as the underdog this year, going 25-90, and they are 5-3 when favored. So far, they are 11-38 in day games and 19-55 in night games. Looking at their overall, they have gone just 3-7 over their last 10 games.

Chicago has a run line record of 53-70 this season, including a 26-35 mark on the road. The White Sox have covered the run line in three straight games and have an average run margin of -2.0 runs per game this season. They have been the underdog in the run line in 115 of their 123 games this season.

The Chicago White Sox are on the road today against the Houston Astros. The over/under line for the game is set at 8 runs. The White Sox have an average combined run average of 8.3 runs per game this season. Their over/under record on the year is 56-62, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8 runs is 10-10-2. The over has hit in two straight games for the White Sox.

Sox starter Chris Flexen finished with a no-decision in his last outing, going four innings vs. the Cubs. He didn’t give up a run in that outing, giving up just one hit. Looking back over his last four outings, Flexen has finished with a no-decision in three of them. He has made 23 starts this season and has a record of 2-11 with a 5.34 ERA. Flexen’s WHIP for the season is 1.50. Opposing batters are hitting .269 off Flexen this season. Per nine innings, he is averaging 6.41 strikeouts and 3.81 walks.

For the White Sox to get their offense on track, they are going to need a big game from Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi. Vaughn and Benintendi are the team’s top two home run hitters, but they are batting just .241 and .217, respectively. However, Benintendi has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/31 in his last seven games with three homers. Luis Robert Jr. is also batting just .212 this season but is on a three-game hitting streak.

Overall, the White Sox are last in the league in on-base percentage, and their team OPS of .628 is also the worst in the majors. This has led to them averaging just 3.1 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league.

Astros Records & Stats

The Astros hold a three-game lead in the AL West over the Mariners as they are 65-56 overall. Houston is 21-18 against other teams in the AL West. They have dropped three straight at home, and they are 32-27 at home this year. On the road, the Astros are 33-29 this season.

So far, the Astros have been favored in 89 of their games, going 49-40 in those matchups. As the underdog, Houston has gone 16-16 this year. The team has an overall series record of 22-16-1 and have won three straight series overall.

When the Astros are the favorite, they are just 40-49 vs. the run line. They are 21-11 as the underdog. They are 27-32 vs. the run line at home and 34-28 on the road. They have lost vs. the run line in nine straight home games.

Today’s over/under line of 8 runs for the Houston Astros’ game against the Chicago White Sox is lower than the Astros’ season average of 8.7 runs per game. The Astros have had 75 games with higher over/under lines than 8 runs, which accounts for 62.0% of their games this season. When the over/under line has been set at 8 runs, the Astros have gone over the total 7 times, under the total 11 times, and pushed twice.

Hunter Brown gets the start for the Astros today and is coming off a strong outing vs. the Red Sox. In that start, he went 5 1/3 innings, picking up the win and giving up just two earned runs. Looking back further, Brown has turned in a quality start in three of his last four outings. Overall, he has made 23 starts, has a record of 10-7, and his ERA is 3.96. Opponents are batting .250 off Brown this season, and his WHIP is 1.37. For the year, he has allowed 15 home runs and is averaging 9.82 strikeouts per nine innings.

Yordan Alvarez has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Astros, going 12/35 with five homers over his last 10 games. Alvarez’s 25 homers this season is the best mark on the team and 12th in the league. He is also 2nd on the team in RBIs, with 65. Alex Bregman has also been hot of late, going 16/41 in his last nine games with five homers.

Alvarez and Bregman are the Astros’ top two power threats, as Alvarez is 1st in homers and Bregman is 2nd with 19 long balls. Yainer Diaz has also been a key run producer for Houston, as his 67 RBIs is the best mark on the team. Collectively, the Astros are 4th in batting average and 4th in runs scored, averaging 4.6 runs per game.