The Detroit Tigers welcome the Chicago White Sox to Comerica Park on Friday night. The Tigers took the first contest in this four-game series yesterday, and MLB betting lines opened with Detroit as +120 underdogs for today.
Both offenses have struggled this season, but the starting pitchers for these teams have also looked horrible. So where does the betting value lie in this subpar matchup? I let you know with my best free White Sox vs. Tigers MLB picks and predictions for May 26.
White Sox vs Tigers odds
White Sox vs Tigers predictions
Despite losing to the Tigers last night, the White Sox are still 7-2 in their last nine trips to Comerica Park.
Although the White Sox mustered just four hits and two runs last night, they should be poised for a better performance today. Sure, they rank near the bottom of the majors in OPS, but they tend to hit much better against lefties, batting .251 with a slugging percentage of .414. The Tigers are sending struggling southpaw Joey Wentz to the mound tonight.
Wentz has an atrocious 7.45 ERA across nine starts, and his expected batting average of .287 and expected ERA of 5.79 suggests more ugly performances in the future.
The White Sox will respond with veteran righthander Lance Lynn. While Lynn has put up some terrible numbers this season, he's coming off back-to-back quality starts and pitched to an impressive 3.28 ERA with 1.09 WHIP across 362 2/3 innings between 2020 and 2022.
With Chicago's lineup hitting decently against lefties like Wentz, and Lynn much better than his early-season stats would indicate, I like the visitors.
However, the White Sox have some of the worst relief pitching in the majors, so I'm looking to avoid their volatile bullpen and take them on the first five innings runline instead.
My best bet: White Sox first five innings -0.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
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White Sox vs Tigers moneyline analysis
It's been a poor start to the year for both clubs, with the Tigers second in the subpar AL Central with a 23-25 record, while the White Sox are in fourth place at 21-31.
The Tigers have gotten some strong play from promising prospects Riley Greene (team-high .801 OPS) and Spencer Torkelson (slashing .284/.363/.444 this month).
However, Javier Baez is failing to live up to his massive contract, while Wentz has been wildly inconsistent and gets hit hard when he isn't on.
The White Sox entered this season with playoff aspirations but have been awful so far. Luis Robert Jr. and Andrew Vaughn have been the only hitters producing at a decent clip, while starters Lynn, Lucas Giolito, and Dylan Cease have all regressed on the mound.
Lynn finished in the Top 6 for the AL Cy Young Award from 2019 to 2021, but he has struggled this year with a 1.47 WHIP and a .280 OBA through 10 starts. However, he is coming off a pair of impressive outings, surrendering a total of 11 hits and three earned runs in 13 innings against the Guardians and Royals, respectively.
White Sox vs Tigers Over/Under analysis
It's tough to handicap the total today since both starters have struggled, but both teams have also been brutal at the plate. The White Sox are just 26th in the majors with an OPS of .682 while averaging 4.13 runs per game.
Meanwhile, the Tigers have been even worse with an OPS of .653, and just 3.70 runs per game.
We already mentioned how poorly these starters have performed, and while I do think Lynn's track record suggests that he'll turn things around, I'm not as confident in Chicago's bullpen.
Chicago's relievers are second-last in the majors in ERA (5.21) and WHIP (1.49).
White Sox vs Tigers game info
| Location: | Comerica Park, Detroit, MI |
| Date: | Friday, May 26, 2023 |
| First pitch: | 6:40 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Apple TV+ |
Starting pitchers
Lance Lynn (3-5, 6.28 ERA): The two-time All-Star has been one of Chicago's most reliable arms for the last few years but is going through a very rough season so far. His 6.28 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and .280 OBA are easily the worst numbers of his 13-year career. That said, he is coming off a quality start against the Royals where he scattered four hits and allowed a pair of runs across six innings.
Joey Wentz (1-4, 7.45 ERA): The 25-year-old southpaw flashed promise in 2022 but has gotten off to an awful start this year. While he had a 3.03 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP in 32 2/3 innings last year, those numbers have ballooned to 7.45 and 1.63, respectively, through 38 2/3 innings this season. In his last start, he was shredded for 10 hits and six runs in just two innings against the Nationals.
Latest injuries
Trend to know
The White Sox are 44-20 in the last 64 meetings between these NL Central rivals. Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Tigers.
