After losing seven of their last 10 games, the Los Angeles Dodgers (38-29) were hopeful to get back on track with a home series against the Chicago White Sox (29-39).
That’s just what they did in Game 1, as Tony Gonsolin pitched effectively and the bats did enough to propel a 5-1 victory. Looking at today’s MLB odds, the Dodgers are heavily favored to roll again in Game 2.
Wednesday’s meeting features the immortal Clayton Kershaw on the mound for the home team in a great matchup against a struggling White Sox lineup.
Read on to see which Kershaw prop I’m targeting with my best bet, and my full MLB picks and predictions for White Sox vs. Dodgers on Wednesday, June 14.
White Sox vs Dodgers odds
White Sox vs Dodgers predictions
The ageless wonder, Clayton Kershaw, draws the start for the Dodgers. His team is dealing with numerous starting pitching injuries and could use him going deep into the game, which could be possible considering he’s pitched at least seven innings in five of his 13 starts — including his last two appearances.
Kershaw’s added another gear in the strikeout department, as his 30.3% K-rate is actually higher than his career average (27.7%) and is the highest it’s been in any season since 2016. Batters simply haven’t been able to make contact — his 15.1% swinging strike rate ranks fourth among qualified starters.
He’ll face a woeful Chicago lineup on Wednesday.
The White Sox have been in an infamous cold spell at the plate, posting a 72 wRC+ (27th) and .275 wOBA (28th) across the last 10 days. They managed just three hits during Tuesday’s series opener.
They struggle to put the ball in play against southpaws, as their 23.8% K-rate is the ninth-highest in the MLB. They’ve been even more whiff-prone than usual lately with a gargantuan 32.7% K-rate — the highest in the MLB — against left-handed pitching across the last 20 days.
That’s troubling news against Kershaw, who has been a wagon at Dodger Stadium, posting a 1.45 ERA while striking out 43 batters across 31 innings.
His strikeout prop is listed at 7.5 on Wednesday. He’s struck out exactly nine batters in four of his five home starts while posing seven punchouts across just four innings in the other. There are decent odds across the sportsbook on the Over, but there’s plus money being offered at a few and that’s too good for me to pass up.
My best bet: Clayton Kershaw Over 7.5 strikeouts (+110)
White Sox vs Dodgers same-game parlay
Kershaw 8+ Strikeouts (-110)
Dodgers first 5 Innings / Moneyline (-120)
Dodgers team total Over 4.5 (-130)
Dodgers -2.5 alternative run line (+140)
We’re using our best bet as the first leg of this SGP. Tune into this game and root for Kershaw strikeouts along with the Dodger faithful in attendance on Wednesday night in Southern California.
For the second leg, we’re going to be attacking the Dodgers to win this ball game by playing them on the first 5 innings / full game moneyline combination at -130. They have a sizable starting pitching advantage and a much better lineup, and they’re terrific at home (21-10) while Chicago is terrible on the road (12-22).
The third leg features the Dodgers going Over their 4.5 team total. I like this matchup against White Sox starter Mike Clevinger.
Although he’s been pitching well lately (eight combined earned runs allowed across his last four starts), his 4.73 xERA and 5.03 FIP both indicate regression from his actual ERA of 4.19. He’s struggled on the road, where his 5.45 ERA is nearly three full runs higher than it is at home (2.52).
The fourth and final leg will be the Dodgers at -2.5 on the alternate run line. If all the first three legs hit, then the home team will probably come away with a comfortable victory.
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White Sox vs Dodgers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
The Dodgers are listed as a favorite between -270 and -286 depending on the book. They’ve been terrific in Kershaw’s starts, winning nine of his 14 appearances.
Clevinger gets the call for the visiting team, and he has a very tough matchup. The Dodgers are one of the best teams in the league at hitting right-handed pitching, posting a 113 wRC+ and .337 wOBA.
In three career appearances against the Boys in Blue, Clevinger has been rocked (0-2, 9.69 ERA).
The total is set at 8.5 across the board.
Weather may have an impact, as the current forecast calls for a temperature of 65.9 degrees and winds of 8.1 mph blowing out to right field at the time of first pitch. The winds will decrease a bit but remain at 6.9 mph throughout the game.
The Dodgers have a substantial edge in this game and my favorite play outside of my best bet is taking the home team on the run line -1.5 for -130 odds.
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Trend to know
Kershaw has gone Over 7.5 strikeouts in four of his five starts at home this season. Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs Dodgers
White Sox vs Dodgers game info
| Location: | Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date: | Wednesday, June 14, 2023 |
| First pitch: | 10:10 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
Starting pitchers
Mike Clevinger (3-4, 4.19 ERA): Clevinger is in fine form after allowing just eight combined earned runs across his last four starts. His peripherals are not encouraging, however, as his 4.73 xERA and 5.03 FIP are both well above his actual ERA. He walks too many batters (9.4%) and allows too much hard contact (8.9% BB-rate). The good news is that his velocity is up — his 94.4 average fastball velocity is nearly a full tick higher than in 2022.
Clayton Kershaw (8-4, 2.95 ERA): The veteran lefty continues to chug along in his age-35 season and his 3.38 xERA and 3.37 FIP are both strong. His 30.3% K-rate is the highest it’s been since 2016, although his 6.2% BB-rate is the highest it’s been since 2012. He’s been terrific at home this season with a 4-1 record, 1.45 ERA, and 0.71 WHIP across 31 innings at Dodger Stadium.
