It’s funny how one game can change the way a whole series feels, but that’s what happened when the Toronto Blue Jays stormed back from five runs down to avoid a sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees.
Now, they’ll look to carry that momentum onto the road when they open a series against the Chicago White Sox. However, Chicago is familiar with Jays’ starter Jose Berrios from his years in Minnesota. So, who has the baseball betting edge?
Find out in our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Blue Jays vs. White Sox on Monday, June 20.
Blue Jays vs White Sox odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Jays opened this American League matchup as roughly -120 road favorites and have been bet to -135. The total hit the board at 9.0 and that number is getting juiced slightly to the Over as of Monday afternoon.
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.
Blue Jays vs White Sox predictions
Picks made on 6/20/2022 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Blue Jays vs White Sox game info
• Location: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, IL
• Date: Monday, June 20, 2022
• First pitch: 8:10 p.m. ET
• TV: Sportsnet, NBCS-CHI
Blue Jays vs White Sox betting preview
Starting pitchers
Jose Berrios (5-2, 4.65 ERA): All of a sudden, Berrios has put together a stretch of impressive starts. The right-hander has pitched into the seventh inning in five of his last six outings, never allowing more than three earned runs in those five contests.
Lance Lynn (0-0, 6.23 ERA): Lynn missed the first two months of the season due to a knee injury, and unfortunately his return to the rotation did not go smoothly. The right-hander got whacked around by the Tigers for three runs on 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Blue Jays: Danny Jansen C (Out), Trevor Richards RP (Out), Julian Merryweather RP (Out).
White Sox: Yoan Moncada 3B (Questionable), Leury Garcia 2B (Questionable), Eloy Jimenez OF (Out), Liam Hendriks RP (Out), Kyle Crick RP (Out), Tim Anderson SS (Out), Aaron Bummer RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The White Sox are 4-11 in their last 15 home games when facing a right-handed starter. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. White Sox
Blue Jays 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
The Blue Jays were able to salvage their series with the Yankees, thanks to a 10-9 comeback victory on Sunday fueled by huge home runs from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez. But can they carry that momentum into Monday night’s series opener at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago?
Well, they’ll be confident handing the ball to Jose Berrios in Game 1 of this series. It feels like the right-hander has worked out his early-season struggles. Berrios has recorded a quality start five of the last six times he has taken the ball, pitching to a 3.58 ERA, limiting opponents to a .221 average, and striking out 38 batters in 37 1-3 innings over that stretch.
And while the White Sox are familiar with Berrios from his days with the Twins, that might not be enough for them to come away with a win.
Chicago’s offense has frankly been a disappointment through this point of the season, particularly when facing right-handed pitchers. The White Sox rank 22nd in batting average and 28th in OPS when going against righties, and even though guys like Jose Abreu and Luis Robert are playing well, injuries have really hurt this team’s pop.
Chicago counters Berrios with Lance Lynn, who is making just his second start of the season after a knee injury cost him two months. As noted, that first start did not go smoothly, and that game was against the Tigers, who have an offense that is even worse than the White Sox.
The Blue Jays on the other hand, despite the stumble vs. the Yankees over the weekend, now rank fifth in MLB in OPS and eighth in batting average when going against righties.
Meanwhile, the bullpens would be close to a wash, but the Sox are also missing several key pieces there as well, with Liam Hendriks, Kyle Crick, and Aaron Bummer all out.
All that considered, lean towards the road team here as slight favorites.
Prediction: Blue Jays moneyline (-125 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
This total feels very close to right on the mark, but it feels like there will be enough offense here to send this one Over.
The Jays have proven since basically the end of May, that their offense is back. They are averaging 6.29 runs per game over the last 24 games, and lead MLB in batting average, OPS, and wRC+ over that stretch. Now they’ll face a starter still trying to knock off the rust after an injury and a battered bullpen.
The White Sox should be able to do their part against Berrios. While the right-hander’s numbers have improved recently, he is still getting hit hard. Berrios ranks in the bottom 8% of MLB in both hard-hit percentage and opponent-expected batting average. He might not give up a ton of hits, but the White Sox could certainly take him deep a couple of times.
Mix in two bullpens that rank in the bottom third of the league in ERA and are both dealing with injuries, and this one should sneak Over.
Prediction: Over 9 (-108 at FanDuel)
Best bet
It’s hard to overlook the Jays’ advantages in this one. Berrios is in a groove. and Lynn is still knocking the rust off. Toronto's offense is locked in, and outside a couple of guys, the White Sox have struggled vs. righties (batting .238 as a team). So, take the shaky bullpens out of the equation and bet on the Blue Jays to have the lead through five.
Pick: Blue Jays -0.5 five-inning runline (+110 at DraftKings)
