Rays vs. White Sox prediction and odds for Thursday, April 27 (Are we Fading Aces in Chicago?)

What happens when a cold front meets a warm front and the cold air mixes with the heat, you get wind, so it’s only fitting that the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox are meeting for four-games in the Windy City. The Rays are heading up from the south and despite losing two-in-a-row to the Astros, they are 20-5 and off to the hottest start in baseball. The White Sox are ice cold, losers of seven straight and 7-18 on the season.

Despite Chicago’s poor record this is the game of the day in the MLB because we get to see Dylan Cease and Shane McClanahan go head-to-head. These two aces are two of the favorites to win AL Cy Young. Cease is 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA and McClanahan is 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA.

Two of the best in baseball are taking the mound, so let’s get into the odds. 

Rays vs. White Sox odds, run line and total

Rays vs. White Sox prediction and pick

While McClanahan and Cease are two of the best pitchers in the American League and frankly in all of baseball, they both could be looking at a bit of regression at some point soon. McClanahan has made five starts and has only given up six runs in 29.0 innings pitched, but he has issued 12 walks which has him in the 37th percentile in walk rate. That’s one of the reasons that he has a FIP of 2.93 and an expected ERA of 2.70. Those are both really good numbers, but they are higher than his insanely great ERA. 

For Cease he’s had a couple of iffy starts in a row. Last time out he allowed three earned runs in four innings pitched and has a FIP of 3.68 compared to his 2.73 ERA. Cease’s hard hit rate is pretty high, 15th percentile and he also has a very high walk rate. 

The Rays offense has gone cold, they’ve been shut out in back-to-back games and while this looks like an obvious pitcher’s duel, and it might be, I think there’s value on the over. 

Follow all Josh Yourish’s bets HERE

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change