Don't look now, but the Oakland Athletics have won seven of their last eight games as they face off against Chicago White Sox in the second contest of a three-game set on Saturday night.
The A's won 7-3 as +176 underdogs at Guaranteed Rate Field last night, but oddsmakers are against them once again with MLB betting lines opening with the Sox as -180 home faves. Here are our best free Athletics vs. White Sox MLB picks and predictions for July 30.
A's vs White Sox odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The White Sox opened as -180 favorites for this contest with the Over/Under at 8.5. The line has shortened to -170 at most books while the total has ticked down to 8.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until first pitch and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
A's vs White Sox predictions
Picks made on 7/30/2022 at 10 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2022 MLB season, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users can get a no-sweat first bet (up to $1,000) at FanDuel! Sign Up Now
B) White Sox win + Jose Abreu HR on 7/30 BOOSTED to +625 at Caesars! Claim Now
*Eligible USA locations only
A's vs White Sox game info
• Location: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, IL
• Date: Saturday, July 30, 2022
• First pitch: 7:15 p.m. ET
• TV: NBCS-CA, NBCS-CHI
A's vs White Sox betting preview
Starting pitchers
Paul Blackburn (6-6, 4.35 ERA): Blackburn might have been selected for the All-Star game, but he has been horrible lately and is fresh off his worst start of the year, surrendering 10 runs in 4 1-3 innings against the Rangers. His 1.26 WHIP and .253 opponent batting average are subpar but at least they're much better than his 1.62 WHIP and .319 OBA in 38 1-3 innings last year.
Johnny Cueto (4-4, 2.89 ERA): In his first season with the White Sox, Cueto is putting up his best ERA+ (138) since he was an All-Star in 2016 while his 1.19 WHIP is the best it's been in five years. He's coming off a shaky outing against the Guardians where he allowed eight hits and four runs (three earned) while failing to strike out a single batter in seven innings.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The White Sox are 39-13 in their last 52 games against a team with a winning percentage below .400. Find more MLB betting trends for A's vs. White Sox
A's vs White Sox picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
Despite going 7-1 in their last eight games, the A's still have the worst record in the AL at 39-63. Meanwhile, the White Sox are one game below .500 as they look to play up to the high expectations they had entering the year.
One big problem for Chicago has been a lack of power, with the White Sox ranking fourth in the majors in batting average (.256) but just 20th in slugging (.384). The Sox are actually tied with the A's for the third-lowest isolated power rating in the majors.
That said, at least the South Siders can make contact and that might be all that they have to do to score runs against tonight's starter, Paul Blackburn.
Blackburn looked extremely impressive earlier in the season, pitching to a 1.70 ERA in his first nine starts and making the All-Star game. However, he has fallen apart since then with a 6.71 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in his previous 10 starts.
Chicago will send veteran Johnny Cueto to the mound. The 36-year-old has pitched to a sparkling 2.89 ERA in 81 innings and although the analytics suggest that he's due for some regression, he has still been a lot better than Blackburn.
Cueto should be able to contain an Oakland lineup that is last in the majors in OPS (.620) and ranks second-last in hard-hit rate.
Despite how well the A's have been performing lately, the White Sox still have the much better lineup on paper and Blackburn has been one of the worst starters in the majors over the last month. That's enough for me to back the home side.
Prediction: White Sox moneyline (-165 at DraftKings)
Over/Under analysis
The A's aren't exactly mashing on the road, but they do perform much better offensively than they do at home. While they average a pathetic 2.86 runs per game at pitcher-friendly RingCentral Coliseum, that number ticks up to a slightly-less-embarrassing 3.96 runs per game in away contests.
Although Cueto has an impressive ERA, his expected ERA of 3.97 and his low strike rate suggest that he's been fool's gold for Chicago.
While the Sox lineup hasn't lived up to preseason expectations, they have the bats to get to Blackburn, who has pitched to a woeful 9.41 ERA in his last six starts.
With both clubs also having below-average bullpens, I'm leaning towards the Over.
Prediction: Over 8 (-110 at bet365)
Best bet
If you haven't picked up on the narrative surrounding this matchup, I'm fading Blackburn hard following his recent ugly stretch of play. Despite making the All-Star game, the 26-year-old's underlying metrics suggested that he was more lucky than good, and we've seen just what that means for his long-term success.
The right-hander has allowed at least five earned runs in four of his last six starts. He's also an extreme ground-ball pitcher, which could play right into the hands of the Sox, who have a .305 batting average on balls in play.
Combine that with an A's lineup that averages just 1.73 runs per game through the first five innings and I'm backing Chicago on the first five line.
Pick: First Five Innings White Sox -0.5 (-120 at DraftKings)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s MLB A's vs. White Sox picks, you could win $46.21 on a $10 bet?
Use our MLB parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
