Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros Prediction, 3/30/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros

Date: Thursday, March 30, 2023

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Chicago (+136) Houston (-165)

Minute Maid Park is the location where the Houston Astros (106-56 last season) will attempt to defeat the Chicago White Sox (81-81 last year) on Thursday. The odds on this game have the White Sox at +136 while the Astros open at -165. The over/under comes in at 7. The starting pitchers will be Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez.

As a team, the Chicago White Sox put up 4.2 runs/g, which had them sitting at 19th in baseball. They accumulated 686 runs and held an OBP of .310. The White Sox earned 272 doubles as a unit and smacked 149 balls out of the park. They accumulated 654 RBI's as well as 1,435 base knocks for the previous season, while their batting average finished at .256. Chicago had a slugging % of .387 and were rung up 1,269 times, while drawing a walk on 388 occasions.

Get all of our Free MLB Picks

The White Sox held a team earned run average of 3.92 last season (16th in the league), and their staff struck out 1,450 batters. They accumulated a K/BB ratio of 2.72 and their pitching staff had a collective WHIP of 1.29. White Sox pitchers yielded 166 home runs and also 717 runs (20th in baseball). Their pitching staff walked 533 opposing hitters and their FIP came in at 3.81 as a team in the previous season.

The White Sox bullpen earned a save percentage of 67.6% and entered the game in 174 save situations. The relievers inherited 200 runners for the previous season with 38.5% of those runners ended up crossing the plate. White Sox bullpen pitchers entered the contest with runners on 139 times in addition to having 172 outings in high leverage situations. The White Sox dispatched 549 relievers to the hill last year. The relievers notched 102 holds for the prior year (5th in baseball). They had 48 saves last season and missed out on 23 out of their 71 save chances.

The White Sox converted 68.8% of baseballs in play into outs out of 13,029 innings, which ranked them 23rd in pro baseball. The Chicago White Sox earned 4,343 putouts during the previous year, as well as 1,293 assists and 101 errors. Their fielding rate was at .982 which put them in 28th in the majors, and they turned 122 double plays.

Cease has pitched in 481 innings and has racked up 578 strikeouts during his pro baseball career. Cease (36-26 win-loss mark in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 3.92 and he has faced 2,036 opposing batters in the major leagues. His ERA is 3.56 (190 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.264. He has conceded 393 hits (7.4 hits per 9 innings) and has 215 walks.

Houston was sitting with 214 long balls over the course of last season to go along with 715 runs batted in. They notched 284 doubles, while walking 528 times as well as putting up 737 runs. The Houston Astros had a team on-base percentage of .319 and a batting average of .248 over the course of last year. The Astros held a team slugging percentage of .424 and they were earning 4.55 runs per outing (8th in the league). They struck out on 1,179 occasions (29th in MLB) and notched a total of 1,341 hits.

The Houston pitching staff yielded 518 runs for the prior year while having an ERA of 2.90 (465 earned runs surrendered). They surrendered 134 long balls and they surrendered 3.23 runs per 9 innings (2nd in the league). The Astros had a team WHIP of 1.093 and had a FIP of 3.28 as a staff in the previous season. Their strikeout to walk ratio was 3.33 (1,524 strikeouts against 458 walks). They were ranked 2nd in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 1,121.

Finishing with 171 save situations, the Astros had 102 holds in addition to 16 blown saves. Houston had bullpen pitchers step onto the mound in 69 save chances and they recorded 53 saves. Their relievers took the field 160 times in high leverage situations and on 103 occasions with runners on. Houston bullpen pitchers had an inherited score rate of 27.7% out of their 148 inherited runners. They were ranked 2nd in MLB holding a save rate of 76.8%, and they dispatched 480 relievers to the mound last season.

Houston Astros twisted 122 double plays and owned a fielding percentage of .987 (7th in the majors). The Astros recorded 1,290 assists, 72 errors and had 4,336 putouts in the prior season. In 13,008 innings on the diamond, the Astros finished with a defensive efficiency of 71.9% (3rd in professional baseball).

Valdez (41-23 career mark) has a 3.38 earned run average and has surrendered 7.6 hits per 9 innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.38 and he has faced 2,170 batters thus far in his career. He has given up 193 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.252 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.7. In his pro baseball career, Valdez has conceded 435 base knocks while he has tallied 497 K's in 514 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston (-165)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here