Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals Betting Preview

[Shame About Ray]

The White Sox will look to close out a successful first half of their 2008 campaign on the road for six starting tonight in Kansas City where they’ll lock horns with the Royals in an online betting affair. Chicago entered its four-game set with the Oakland A’s in the midst of a seven-game winning streak before dropping the first two of the series. They enter tonight’s game winners in eight of their L/10 overall reeling MLB betting fans in $527 of pure baseball profit.



Like most of the dominant teams of 2008, the White Sox have struggled on the road to the tune of just 19 wins in 43 tries, but have only cost the sports betting public a mere $257 as a visitor. At 14 games over .500, 51-37, the White Sox hold a slim 1.5-game lead over the red-hot Minnesota Twins for the top spot in the AL Central Division. Kansas City had been playing some exceptional ball throughout the second half of June that saw it churn out an impressive 11-1 mark, but it comes into tonight’s AL Central clash with Chicago losers in seven of its L/10 overall. The Royals have been a scrappy bunch evidenced by the fact that they’ve only cost their betting supporters $419 on the year even though they currently sit 10-games under .500 at 40-50. Those numbers tell MLB wagering handicappers that the Royals are a team you can make money with if you pick your spots. They’ve been much more competitive in the homey confines of Kaufmann Field where they own a 19-21 overall mark, and have won seven of their L/10. Chicago swept the Royals at US Cellular Field in their only series meeting of this season back at the beginning of June, and they dominated them last season winning 12 of their 17 overall games.

Jose Contreras is by no means the pitcher that took the bump throughout the first two months of the season. His 2.76 ERA at the beginning of June has jumped to over four throughout his last five starts, and he portrays the look of a gas can waiting to get sparked by an errantly tossed match. He was lucky to get past the Cubs the second time he faced them, and was even luckier to escape his last start against the Cleveland Indians with a no decision. He threw 115-pitches over six-innings allowing six hits and four runs, but managed to escape a pair of bases loaded situations after walking a season high four batters. He enters his 18th start of the year 7-6 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.27 WHIP allowing 107 hits and 52 runs (49 earned) with a K/BB ratio of 65/32 in 109 total innings of work. In 16 career starts against the Royals, Contreras is 9-4 with a 3.27 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. He dominated them in his lone start against them this season allowing one-run and four hits through seven innings of work.

Righty Kyle Davies will make his eighth start of the season tonight carrying a 3-1 mark and 4.71 ERA. His first four starts for the Royals were nothing short of fantastic this season. He allowed a combined 23 hits and four earned runs in just under 25 total innings of work, and the Royals won three of the four starts. Since then, he’s 0-1 with an insane 11.57 ERA and 2.23 WHIP his L/3 starts managing to last just 11 2/3rd innings. He’ll hope to turn things around at home where he’s 1-1 with a 4.82 ERA. He has just one career start against the White Sox under his belt that came last season in a 6-1 defeat at US Cellular Field.

Oddsmakers opened the White Sox short –115 road favorites in tonight’s baseball betting affair, with the ‘total’ set at 9 over -120. BetUS.com offers all MLB betting odds be it side, total, or run-line, so be sure to login to your account and get your wagers down before this evening’s first pitch.