The Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins are searching for consistency as their first series of the season continues on Saturday afternoon.
The White Sox began torridly at 6-2, before losing five in a row to fall to under .500. That includes their narrow 2-1 loss to Minnesota on Friday night.
The Twins have taken two straight decisions but lost four of five beforehand and are a modest 6-8 on the season.
Which club will reward their backers in this spot? Find out in our free MLB picks and predictions for White Sox vs Twins on Saturday, April 23.
White Sox vs Twins odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Twins opened as consensus -125 moneyline favorites, and there’s been little movement in that market. The initial consensus total was 8.5, but action on the Over means that that number may not be around much longer. Most sportsbooks are putting a heavier vig on the Over, with a couple of sites raising the line to 9.0 early on Saturday morning before coming back down to 8.5 again.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
White Sox vs Twins predictions
Picks made on 4/23/2022 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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White Sox vs Twins game info
• Location: Target Field, Minneapolis, MN
• Date: Saturday, April 23, 2022
• First pitch: 4:05 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1
White Sox vs Twins betting preview
Starting pitchers
Vince Velasquez (0-1, 4.15 ERA): Things have not begun brilliantly for Vince Velasquez with his fourth different MLB team, as he’s lasted only 8 2-3 innings in his first two starts for the White Sox. He’s struck out seven batters but also walked six in that span.
Velasquez has averaged only 4.82 innings per start in his big league career (129 starts), so bettors should expect the bullpen to take a very active role for Chicago on Saturday.
Dylan Bundy (2-0, 0.87 ERA): Dylan Bundy has been an incredibly pleasant surprise for the Twins, allowing only one earned run over his first two starts (10 1-3 innings). He’s struck out eight batters in that span while walking only one.
Bundy starts on regular rest after pitching on Monday, and he’s realized his best ERA (4.55) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.1) figures in that situation, compared to having extra rest.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
White Sox: Tim Anderson SS (Questionable), Josh Harrison 2B (Out), Matt Foster RP (Questionable), Ryan Burr RP (Out), Yoan Moncada 3B (Out), Luis Robert CF (Questionable), Lance Lynn SP (Out), Yermin Mercedes 1B (Out), Joe Kelly RP (Out).
Twins: Jorge Alcala RP (Out), Sonny Gray SP (Out), Alex Kirilloff RF (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 6-0 in the Twins’ last six home games against right-handed starters. Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Twins
White Sox vs Twins 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
It’s not often that one can say this, but bettors should have no qualms about backing Dylan Bundy on Saturday.
Not only is Bundy off to a brilliant start with Minnesota, but he also has excellent career numbers against Chicago. He’s 4-0 over six career outings (five starts) against the White Sox with a 3.97 ERA and 1.000 WHIP. His strikeout/walk ratio in 34 innings of work against the South Siders is 5.29.
The only batter that’s really given Bundy a problem in the past is former AL MVP Jose Abreu, who’s 7-for-16 (.438) lifetime against the Oklahoma native with a home run. But Abreu is currently mired in a funk, batting .205 to start the season with just one four-bagger.
Bundy’s opposite number is Vince Velasquez, who figures to give the White Sox bullpen some unneeded heavy lifting, as his road WHIP (1.502) is far worse than his home one (1.282) over his seven-year career.
Minnesota’s lineup is off to a slow start – ranking 24th in runs per game at 3.07 – but some of its big bats appear to be turning a corner.
Gio Urshela has seven hits in his last 19 at-bats (.368), and Carlos Correa has gathered six hits in his last five games to get to the Mendoza Line. Byron Buxton returned to the lineup on Thursday following a one-week absence and should be ready to go on Saturday after sitting out on Friday. He had a 1.005 OPS for the Twins in 2021.
Chicago has Minnesota beat in the bullpen battle, as it sits 15th in ERA (3.14) while its AL Central rival is 27th (4.50), so bettors may want to look hard at the home team’s first five innings line. But the Twins should be able to protect the early lead they build in this one.
Trend bettors should note that the White Sox are 14-40 in their last 54 games as an underdog.
Prediction: Twins moneyline (-127 at WynnBET)
Over/Under analysis
Our confidence in the Under has almost as much to do with the weather as it does with the athletes on the diamond in this one.
Soaking morning rains will eventually give way to overcast conditions, before more rain threatens to interrupt proceedings at the midway point. The wind will be blowing in from right field at 15 mph. Such gloomy conditions play right into the hands of Under bettors.
Not only will the ball not be flying out of the yard, but it’s far less likely that aggressive offensive moves like the stolen base or hit-and-run will be applied in treacherous footing. This would negate any advantage the batter might have with the pitcher struggling for grip.
Our recommendation of the Twins moneyline also fuels our Under pick, as we believe manager Rocco Baldelli will have some of his more reliable bullpen arms in Joe Smith and Jhon Romero available to protect a lead. Smith – who last worked on Thursday – has gone six straight appearances without allowing a run. Romero has been idle since Tuesday but has allowed only one run through five innings this season while recording five strikeouts.
Prediction: Under 8.5 (+102 at Unibet)
Best bet
Under bettors shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, as Over bettors are driving sportsbooks to make things more favorable as the game gets closer to first pitch.
Neither offense involved in this one is even in the top half of the majors in terms of runs per game. There are also several trends that should give Under bettors confidence here.
The Under is 7-2-1 in Chicago’s last 10 games as a road underdog. The White Sox have also gone below the total in seven of their last 10 games against right-handed starters.
The Under is 20-7-2 in the Twins’ last 29 home games. It’s also worth noting that Under bettors have cashed in five of the last six meetings between these rivals in Minnesota.
Pick: Under 8.5 (+102 at Unibet)
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