Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox: An AL Central matchup

The Detroit Tigers are visiting the Chicago White Sox in the series opener today at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Tigers are still biting

The Detroit Tigers are fourth in the AL Central with a 62-66 record, including 31-34 on the road. They have won 3 of the last 5 games but are coming off a 10-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The Tigers have a 3.82 ERA, a .233 batting average, a .297 on-base percentage, and 1.19 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Matt Vierling is the best player on the team with 105 hits, 60 runs, and 14 home runs.

The White Sox are the worst team in the league

The Chicago White Sox are at the bottom of the AL Central with the worst record in the league of 31 wins and 97 losses and are 18-44 at home. After losing four consecutive games, the White Sox won 6-2 against the San Francisco Giants in the last one. The White Sox have a 4.80 ERA, a .250 batting average, a .334 on-base percentage, and 1.43 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Andrew Vaughn leads the team with 107 hits and 47 runs, while Paul de Jong is on top 18 home runs.

Betting Trends

The White Sox are 4-16 SU in their last 20 games overall, 1-14 SU in their last 15 home games and 0-6 SU in their last 6 home games against Detroit. Chicago has played under the total run line in 12 of their last 15 games against Detroit, in 6 of their last 9 games against teams from the AL and in 4 of their last 6 games against teams from the AL Central. The Tigers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games overall, 7-1 SU in their last 8 games against the White Sox and 2-5 SU in their last 7 games on the road. Detroit has played under the total run line in 6 of their last 8 games overall, in their last 5 games against teams from the AL and in 13 of their last 20 games against teams from the AL Central.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Detroit Tigers are in solid form, winning 7 of their last 10 games overall, but they still have only 0.8% chance of making the playoffs. Visting the worst team in the league looks like an ideal chance to improve their record and maybe turn the season around. The Tigers will start rookie Keider Montero today, who is 4-5 for the season with a 5.28 ERA, 49 K, 59.2 IP, and 1.31 WHIP. The White Sox have been terrible all season and have not won back-to-back games since the All-Star break. They will go with Chris Flexen on the mound, who is 2-12 for the season with a 5.46 ERA, 85 K, 122 IP, and 1.52 WHIP. This game matters only for the Tigers, and they will win their seventh straight at Guaranteed Rate Field.