Already leading the series 1-0, the Twins (77-70, 34-38 away) are sending Bailey Ober to the mound to take on the White Sox (56-91, 29-43 home) and Jesse Scholtens in game two of this series. See who I like to come out on top in this AL Central matchup between the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox in Chicago.

MINNESOTA TWINS VS CHICAGO WHITE SOX BETTING PICK

The Pick: Minnesota Twins -1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Guaranteed Rate Field at 7:40 ET on Friday, September 15th.

WHY BET THE MINNESOTA TWINS:

  • The Twins will be taking on a White Sox club that is just 2-3 vs. the runline over their last five games.
  • Over their last three games on the road, Minnesota is 2-1 against the runline.
  • In Bailey Ober’s three most recent starts, the Twins are 2-1.

CAN THE MINNESOTA TWINS PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

On an overall record of 77-70, the Twins are 1st in the AL Central. On the road, Minnesota has put together a record of 34-38 while going 43-32 at home. Against teams with below .500 records, the club has gone 40-40. Overall, the Twins have played in 46 series, going 23-18-5.

Bailey Ober is making his 23rd appearance of the season with a record of 6-6. His ERA stands at 3.67, and he has allowed a batting average of .240. On the road, Ober is 4-3 with an ERA of 4.43, while at home he is 2-3 with an ERA of 3.76. Opposing teams have a slugging percentage of .417 against him for the season thus far.

In his most recent outing against the Texas Rangers, Bailey Ober was unable to factor into the decision despite pitching four innings and giving up five runs on five hits. Fortunately, his efforts were enough to help the Minnesota Twins secure a 7-6 win.

Having gone deep 9 times in their last five games, the Twins are 3rd in that span. At 4.7 runs per game, Minnesota is 11th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .241 while hitting a total of 210 home runs (4th).

The Twins’ offensive leader, Carlos Correa, has been a consistent presence in the lineup this season. He currently boasts a .229 batting average with a .400 slugging percentage and .309 on-base percentage.

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

Heading into this divisional matchup vs. the Twins, the White Sox have an overall record of 56-91. This mark includes going 22-27 against divisional foes. Currently, they are 4th in the AL Central. Chicago’s overall series record sits at 10-31-6.

Jesse Scholtens has had a tough season thus far in 2023, as the White Sox starter is 1-8 in 24 appearances. His ERA stands at 4.44, while his K/9 figure is 5.92 and FIP is 4.90. Additionally, Scholtens has an OBP of .329.

Jesse Scholtens was handed the loss in his last start against the Tigers, as the White Sox dropped a 3-2 decision. The right-hander allowed three runs on eight hits over six innings of work.

With a season-long average of 4.1 runs per game, the White Sox are the 23rd ranked scoring offense this season. As a team, they are batting .239, with an OBP of .293. In Chicago’s last ten games, they are 12th in home runs, having gone deep nine times in that span.

The Chicago White Sox have seen Eloy Jiménez at the top of their offensive production in the past five games, as he leads the team with one home run. His season total stands at 16 long balls, and his batting average is a respectable .270.