José Ureña will get the start for the White Sox (56-90, 29-42 home) as they host the Twins (76-70, 33-38 away) at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Twins will give the starting nod to Kenta Maeda. Check out my prediction for game one of this AL Central matchup between the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox.

MINNESOTA TWINS VS CHICAGO WHITE SOX BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago White Sox +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Guaranteed Rate Field at 7:40 ET on Thursday, September 14th.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX:

  • Against the runline, the White Sox have gone 6-4 in their ten games at home.
  • The last five times the White Sox have been the underdog, they are 3-2 vs. the runline.
  • Opponents are hitting just .217 against José Ureña in his last two starts.

MINNESOTA TWINS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Minnesota’s overall record currently stands at 76-70, placing them 1st in the AL Central. The Twins will look to extend their current series winning streak to 46 and have an overall series record of 23-17-5. At home, Minnesota is 43-32 and 33-38 on the road.

Today, Kenta Maeda will take the mound for his 19th appearance of the season. His record stands at 4-7, with an ERA of 4.65 and an OBP allowed of .302. The right-hander has struck out 96 batters to this point, and his WHIP is 1.26. On the road, Maeda’s ERA is 3.76; however, he has struggled at home with a 7.98 ERA in those games.

Kenta Maeda earned a victory in his most recent start, as the Twins defeated the Mets 8-4. Maeda allowed two runs on five hits over the course of his outing.

The Twins have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 16 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 5th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 4th in home runs and 9th in slugging percentage. Overall, Minnesota is averaging 4.6 runs per game (14th).

Willi Castro has been a bright spot for the Twins’ offense in their last five games, leading the team with hits and batting .317. Across the entire season, he is hitting .252 and has 30 RBIs to his name.

WILL THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Heading into their 146th game of the season, the White Sox have an overall record of 56-90, and have a win percentage of just 40.8% at home. Currently, Chicago is 4th in the AL Central and has a 10-30-6 record across their 46 series.

Today marks José Ureña’s seventh outing of the 2023 campaign, and he has yet to earn a victory with an 0-5 record. His ERA is 8.46 and opponents are batting .400 against him. Ureña has struck out 12 batters while his WHIP stands at 2.10. On the road, his ERA is 9.17, slightly higher than his 9.51 mark at home.

José Ureña’s most recent start ended in a 3-1 loss for the White Sox against the Tigers. He pitched four innings, giving up one run on four hits.

Over their last ten games, the White Sox are ranked 15th in the league in scoring at 4.1 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4.1 per contest puts them 25th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Chicago is 24th, with an OBP currently sitting at .294. The team’s collective batting average is .240 (16th).

Luis Robert Jr. has been a major contributor to the White Sox offense in 2023, leading the team with 35 home runs and 75 RBIs. His slugging percentage of .544 is indicative of his power-hitting ability.