The Yankees are playing some of their best ball of the season, heading into a three-game weekend series with the AL Central-leading White Sox, the first game of which will be played at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, Thursday night. Newcomer Andrew Heaney hits the hill for New York here against Lance Lynn and his 2.04 ERA for Chicago. Who do we like here for our free baseball betting pick?
MLB Betting Odds
Thursday’s baseball betting lines opened the ChiSox, the home team for this game, at around -160 over New York, with an over/under of 9.5 runs. Early betting action then bumped Chicago to -170.
The White Sox could also be found getting around +110, giving the run and a half on the run line.
Yankees-White Sox MLB Betting Preview
New York just took two of three games from Kansas City, winning Wednesday’s series rubber match 5-2. Just before that, the Yankees took three of four games from Seattle, and just before that, they took two of three from Baltimore. Going back a bit further, New York is 5-0 over its last five series and 12-4 over its previous 16 games.
At 63-51 overall, the Yankees trail division-leading Tampa Bay by six games in the AL East, but they’re also only two games behind Boston in the battle for the second American League wild-card spot.
Chicago, meanwhile, just dropped two of three games at Minnesota, losing Wednesday’s series rubber match 1-0. Just before that, the White Sox swept three games from the Cubs, but just before that, they lost two of three to the Royals. So Chicago is 1-2 over its last three series and 4-4 over its previous eight games.
But at 67-48 overall, the White Sox lead the AL Central by 10.5 games over second-place Cleveland.
This series is the second meeting between these two teams this season; back in May, the Yanks swept three games from the ChiSox.
Thursday’s Pitching Match-Up
Lynn, by our strict standards, is 11/20 on quality starts this season and five for his last six. Last Friday, he held the Cubs to one run and four hits through six innings of an 8-6 White Sox victory. And over his last six starts, he’s allowed just eight runs and 30 hits through 36 innings, with 12 walks and 40 strikeouts.
The White Sox are 12-8 with Lynn this season, 5-1 over his last six starts.
Over his two most recent starts against the Yankees, both while with Texas in 2019, Lynn allowed four runs and seven hits through 12 1/3 innings. The Rangers split those two games.
Heaney is 6/20 on quality starts this year, 0/2 since coming to the Yanks in a trade with the Angels two weeks ago. Last Saturday, he gave up four runs and four hits through six innings of a 5-4 New York win over Seattle, and just before that, he gave up four runs on four solo homers through four frames of a 7-1 Yankees loss to Baltimore.
The Angels played 8-10 with Heaney this season, while the Yanks are 1-1 with him.
In his one start this season against the White Sox, in April, Heaney got hammered for seven runs in three innings of a 12-8 Angels loss.
Splits With the Sticks
New York is batting .228 against right-handed pitching this season, with a .317 team OBP and a .376 team slugging percentage. This lineup is also operating at the moment without several key sticks, with Anthony Rizzo, Gio Urshela, and Gary Sanchez all out.
Chicago is slashing .253/.326/.425 against left-handed pitching.
- Get more details: Yankees vs. White Sox 8/12/21 Game Matchup Stats
The Bullpens
The Yankees bullpen owns a 3.61 ERA this season, along with a WHIP and a 2.92 K/BB ratio. But this unit is now operating without closer Aroldis Chapman, who’s out with a sore elbow.
The White Sox pen owns a 3.97 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 3.15 K/BB ratio.
MLB Betting Trends
- The Yankees are 42-31 against right-handed starters this season.
- The White Sox are 20-11 against left-handed starters.
Totals Report
Unders are 64-47 in Yankees games this season.
Unders are 57-53 in White Sox games.
Overs are 14-5 with Heaney this season.
Unders are 11-7 with Lynn.
