Thursday, October 1, 2015

U.S. Cellular Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Kris Medlen (5-2) vs. John Danks (7-14)

The Kansas City Royals head to U.S. Cellular Field on Thursday to take on the Chicago White Sox. The probable starters are Kris Medlen for the Royals and John Danks for the White Sox. The opening line for this matchup has Kansas City at -131 and Chicago at +121. The over/under was set at 8. The Royals have a 71-72 over/under record and a 84-73 run line mark, meaning they cover 54% of the time. The White Sox are 76-81 against the run line and have a 74-77 over/under record. They cover the spread 48% of the time.

The Royals head into this matchup with a 90-67 record, including 39-37 on the road. Kris Medlen has an earned run average of 4.30 and is 5-2 so far on the season while having a 1.28 WHIP. The Royals are 4-3 over his 52.1 innings pitched and he's also given up 52 hits over that time period. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 5-2. His teammates are averaging 4.9 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 406 hits on the season and have an earned run average of 2.73. Teams are hitting .210 against the bullpen while being struck out 488 times and walking 186 times this season. As a team, Kansas City has allowed 8.53 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.15 batters per nine. They are 12th in the league in team earned run average at 3.80.

Kansas City ranks 2nd in the league in team batting average at .269 while hitting .260 on the road. The Royals on-base percentage sits at .322, which puts them at 12th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .413. They rank 3rd in baseball with 9.25 hits per game and Eric Hosmer leads the team with 173.

With a 38-38 home record, Chicago will hope to improve on their 74-83 overall mark. John Danks is starting this game 7-14 for the season with an earned run average of 4.53 and a WHIP of 1.37. The White Sox have a record of 13-16 over the 172.2 innings he's pitched during which he's given up 184 hits. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 13-15. His teammates score an average of 4.1 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 412 hits on the season and have a team earned run average of 3.63. Teams are hitting .251 against the White Sox bullpen while being struck out 410 times and walking 170 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 8.97 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.43 batters per nine. They are 15th in the league in team earned run average at 3.98.

They rank 20th in the league in team batting average with a .250 average while hitting .248 at home. The White Sox on-base percentage sits at .307, which puts them at 25th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .383. They rank 16th in baseball with 8.56 hits per game and Jose Abreu leads the team with 173.

In terms of team defense, the Royals have a fielding percentage of .986 with 85 total errors, 1,560 assists and 4,218 put outs. For the home team, they hold a .983 team fielding percentage while committing 98 errors, accumulating 1,544 assists and compiling 4,220 put outs.

Kansas City Royals Betting Trends

The Kansas City Royals are 71-72 against the over/under so far this season

The Kansas City Royals are 84-73 against the run line so far this season

Chicago White Sox Betting Trends

The Chicago White Sox are 74-77 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago White Sox are 76-81 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Kansas City Royals

09/24/15 P Greg Holland Elbow out for season
09/19/15 2B Omar Infante Oblique out indefinitely
07/22/15 P Jason Vargas Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/22); out for season
05/17/15 P Brian Flynn Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (5/16)
04/06/15 P Tim Collins Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (4/6)

Chicago White Sox

07/08/15 P Javy Guerra Suspension expected to miss 50 games
04/06/15 SS Justin Sellers Heel Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)

Josh's Pick: Take the White Sox

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