Things seemed bleak for New York last week, but a couple weekend victories over the Dodgers has set the team up very nicely to go on an extended winning streak. How? Well, after the Mets finish their series with the White Sox this afternoon — the team that lost 121 contests last season — they’ll then welcome in the Rockies for a four-game series — the team that has only won 16.4% of its contests this season.
New York’s already won four in a row. Can it make it five? Let’s break down this interleague matchup with some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
White Sox vs. Mets prediction, preview
You can count the things that have gone right for Chicago the past two seasons on one hand and you wouldn’t need all five fingers. Still, picking up Shane Smith in Rule 5 is certainly one of those few things. The right-hander has been phenomenal for the White Sox in 2025, maintaining a 2.36 ERA and a 3.31 FIP across 53.1 innings of work. In fact, Smith has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his 10 career outings. That’s pretty damn good. Obviously, you can nitpick a little. For instance, Smith’s .259 BABIP seems unsustainable. Although, at the same time, the 25-year-old has done a nice job of suppressing optimum opponent contact, as evidenced by an 82nd percentile barrel rate (5.2%). Smith’s simply proven himself to be a capable MLB arm. There’s a reason he currently owns the fourth-best odds to take home AL Rookie of the Year on DraftKings Sportsbook.
If Smith’s having a conventional breakout campaign, Griffin Canning is having an irregular one. The 29-year-old mostly struggled over parts of five seasons with the Angels, but a new home in New York has changed his fortune. Canning is now spamming his slider more than ever before — the pitch has a career-high 33.7% usage — and that’s translated into the former second-round pick sporting a 2.88 ERA with a 53.9% ground ball rate.
Canning has had issues working deep into games and he’s directly on the heels of his worst outing of 2025, as he lasted just 12 batters against Los Angeles on Friday, surrendering three earned runs and four walks. But here’s the thing: The White Sox aren’t exactly the Dodgers. For the season as a whole, Chicago enters play on Wednesday in possession of AL-worst marks in both batting average (.220) and wRC+ (81). If there was ever a matchup that was going to help get Canning back on track — it’s this one.
White Sox vs. Mets pick, best bet
Best Bet: Under 8 (-115)
Among pitchers with at least 50 innings, Smith is tied with Paul Skenes for the 11th-best ERA in MLB (2.36). Combine that with the White Sox’s inability to hit and you’ve got the formula for a low-scoring game.
Strong Lean: Mets -1.5 (-112)
Despite Smith’s strong play, Chicago is 1-9 in his starts. This is a bad baseball team.
