AL Central Rivals Meet
The Kansas City Royals will welcome the Chicago White Sox into town for a five-game series starting on Monday.
The first pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Team A vs Team B. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions.
White Sox: Slow Start
The White Sox were a favorite amongst offseason MLB picks, specifically to win the American League Central and put together a World Series-worthy campaign. However, they have found much more resistance than expected and are now third in the division with a 16-17 record.
They have lost three of their last four games, all against the New York Yankees, continuing an erratic pattern of winning and losing spells with seemingly no consistency.
Chicago’s biggest hindrance is its offense, which leaves much to be desired both inconsistency and potential. Tim Anderson is batting .336 and is tied for the team-high with only four home runs.
Because the White Sox struggle so hard to manufacture scoring outbursts means that they are banking on dominant defensive performances almost every time out.
The White Sox called up right-hander Johnny Cueto, a former two-time All-Star, from Triple-A Charlotte to make the start on Monday.
Not Playing Like Royalty
The Royals are only 12-20, and although they looked slightly better during a recent three wins in five games stretch, they have glaring deficiencies that make them tough to trust in the bigger picture. They also have a losing record (6-9) at Kauffman Stadium, which hinders the home-field advantage to a degree.
Salvador Perez, last year’s home run champion, has hit six long balls and provided a majority of the team’s power hitting. Just like Chicago, KC is not the most consistent team in the box, but they have a steady figure in Andrew Benintendi who will be charged with at least matching Anderson.
Brad Keller (1-3, 2.70 ERA) will be on the bump for the home team in the first matchup, coming off of a 5.2-inning, five-earned-run performance in his last start against the Texas Rangers.
White Sox vs Royals Head-to-Head
The Royals took two of three from an earlier matchup between the teams.
Kansas City also found itself on the better end of last season’s series, winning 10-9.
White Sox vs Royals Game Information
- Game: White Sox (16-17) vs Royals (12-20)
- Location: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
- Day/Time: Monday, May 16th, 8:10 p.m. ET
- White Sox vs Royals Live Stream: MLB.tv
White Sox vs Royals Betting Lines
| Team | Run Line | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Chicago White Sox | -1½ +135 | -112 | 9 -110o | 4½-120o / 4½-110u |
| Kansas City Royals | +1½ -155 | +102 | 9-110u | 4½+120o / 4½-150u |
White Sox vs Royals Prediction
The White Sox, despite having underperformed, are still a better squad than the Royals, especially when it comes to their bullpen. Most MLB lines still favor Chicago to win the AL Central, which shows that they are expected to overcome their early-season lull and start putting together performances.
Keller has a decent ERA considering how bad his last start was, but he was inconsistent last season and is not someone that can reliably hold down opponents. The 36-year-old Cueto was signed as a minor league free agent last month. He was 0-1 with a 5.17 ERA in four starts with Charlotte.
Expect this game — and series — to be relatively low-scoring, with the Sox finding themselves on the winning end more times than not, including in Monday’s game one.
Those looking to bet online can find MLB odds and more on the BETUS sportsbook.
