White Sox vs. Astros MLB Picks: Tucker To Lead Run Parade

Mike Spector

Last Updated: June 19, 2022 6:10 AM EDT • 2 min 53 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

Sunday's matchup between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros is a potential playoff preview and the only game on Sunday between two teams that are favorites to win their divisions. Keep reading for our White Sox-Astros picks for the series finale.

The Houston Astros have been at least -155 Moneyline favorites in every game in this series but have split the first two games with the White Sox. With a 40-25 overall record, they stand well clear of the Texas Rangers for first in the AL West.

On Saturday, Chicago became just the second team to beat Houston in Justin Verlander's last ten starts, knocking him out of the game after a season-low 3 2/3 innings. Despite being five games back of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central, they're still the betting favorites to come out on top in the division.

Here are my MLB picks and predictions for Sunday’s game between the White Sox and Astros (odds via FOX Bet, Caesars Sportsbook, and DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

White Sox vs. Astros Game Info

Date/Time: Sunday, June 19, 7 p.m. ETTV: ESPNLocation: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TXWeather: 79 degrees, 15% chance of precipitation, Wind 9 mph ENE

White Sox vs. Astros Odds

White Sox vs. Astros Odds Analysis

The Astros range from as low as -150 ML favorites at DraftKings to -160 favorites at Caesars. Houston has been a popular team for bettors, as 66% of the tickets and 71% of the cash have backed their ML odds.

The sportsbooks have moved the total down from 8 to 7.5, with the line juiced to the Under. As of early Sunday, the Under had received 60% of the bets and 89% of the cash.

White Sox vs. Astros Projected Pitchers

Michael Kopech (2-2, 1.92 ERA, 0.929 WHIP) vs. Cristian Javier (3-3, 3.20 ERA, 1.164 WHIP)

After appearing in 44 games last year but making just four starts, Michael Kopech is excelling in his first full season as a starting pitcher. Kopech left his previous start against Texas last Sunday after just 2/3 innings with discomfort in his right knee. However, the injury was not considered serious, and Kopech is making his 12th start of the season just one week later.

Cristian Javier is on pace for a career-low in ERA in his third season in MLB. Javier does not yet have enough innings to qualify, but if he did, his 11.2 K/9 rate would rank fifth-best in the league.

White Sox vs. Astros Picks

Moneyline: White Sox (+140 via Caesars)??Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-110 via FOX Bet)???Player prop: Kyle Tucker Over 0.5 hits (-200 via DraftKings)????

Check out our top-rated sportsbooks here

White Sox vs. Astros ML Pick

White Sox (+140)

The Astros have won 19 of their last 27 home meetings against the White Sox. However, the starting pitching matchup suggests Houston should not be that big of a favorite against a Chicago team that can move to .500 with a win on Sunday.

The Astros are just 5-7 in Javier's appearances, making him the only starting pitcher on the Astros that has not guided the team to a winning record in his starts. In addition, Javier has thrown just four or fewer innings in four of his last seven outings, and the team's bullpen is already taxed after covering 5 1/3 innings of work from Verlander's poor start on Saturday.

https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1538265710664851457

As long as Kopech is healthy after his injury scare, he makes the White Sox enticing underdogs at this price.

White Sox vs. Astros O/U Pick

Over 7.5 (-110)

A bet on the over is a hedge of Chicago's ML odds in case Kopech's knee flares up again. In addition, Javier's ground ball percentage (21.8%) is on pace to be the lowest of his career, while his fly ball percentage (37.9%) is the highest. That is trouble against a White Sox lineup that ranks eighth in the league with a .723 OPS in its road games.

White Sox vs. Astros Prop Pick

Tucker Over 0.5 hits (-200)

Tucker had a 15-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-3 on Saturday. However, since the calendar turned to May, he has had just three instances of being held hitless in consecutive games. Tucker is 2-for-3 with a home run in his career against Kopech, and we like for him to get back to his hitting ways on Sunday against the White Sox.

Where to Bet on White Sox-Astros Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel Sportsbook Caesars Sportsbook DraftKings Sportsbook PointsBet BetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

White Sox-Astros picks made 6/19/2022 at 6:58 a.m. ET.

Written By:
Mike Spector

Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”