New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox Prediction & Picks

New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox Prediction & Picks

Over/Under: 8.5

First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET

Probable pitchers: Jameson Taillon (7-4, 3.82 ERA) vs. Dylan Cease (9-6, 3.99 ERA)

Click here to see Yankees vs White Sox odds.

New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox Prediction

Two starting pitchers at the top of their respective games are slated for battle.

What more could you really ask for?

Taillon — the reigning American League Pitcher of the Month — continues to churn out quality work each time he takes the mound. Entering tonight’s start, the former Pittsburgh Pirate has delivered seven straight outings yielding two runs or less.

Of course, as I continued to highlight all year, Taillon was inevitably going to turn it around. The thing that stands out most to me is he’s been maintaining the highest strikeout rate of his career, clocking in with 8.92 K/9. He never did that in the NL.

Meanwhile, strikeouts have been a big factor for Cease lately, coming off his first pair of consecutive double-digit punch-out performances. In other words, he’s locked in. Cease appears to be hitting his stride this year after registering just 6.79 K/9 during the shortened 60-game campaign. This season, though, that number is nearly double (11.96 K/9), which even ranks Cease fifth among all starters.

The Bronx Bombers, of course, are as intimidating an offense as there is in baseball but at the same time, they strike out a pretty good amount. That could provide Cease a bit of an edge, but what most appeals to me is that this is at home.

Since first arriving in the Major Leagues a couple of years ago, Cease has been notably better at Guaranteed Rate Field compared to on the road. In fact, his career home 3.73 ERA easily dwarfs the 5.25 ERA he collectively has elsewhere.

That trend has rung very true this year, evidenced by the 2.20 ERA Cease holds in Chicago. He’s been stingily consistent, too, not yielding more than three runs in any of his 11 home dates on the season.

Tough, hard-hitting offenses to face, yes. However, with how hot the two probables are, strong pitching should emerge here.

Pick: UNDER 8.5 (-101)

Leans

Brewers-Pirates Under 7 (Game 1)

Cardinals-Royals Over 10

Rockies-Giants Under 8.5

Blue Jays-Mariners Under 9

2021 MLB Over/Under Betting Record*: “63-53-8,” +3.34 units

Yesterday’s Result: Cubs-Marlins Under 7.5 (loss)

*Each bet graded as if it were to win 1 unit