It’s Friday, and what better way to celebrate than with a full slate of action on the diamond? There’s a very interesting matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox on the schedule this evening in the Windy City. Could we see an upset brewing out in the South Side?
Here’s a betting prediction and pick for tonight’s Dodgers vs. White Sox matchup courtesy of MLB odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Dodgers vs. White Sox prediction, preview
Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s not like the back-to-back champs need much of an introduction these days. Los Angeles is pushing for the best record in baseball at 44-25 with key pieces of the superteam not looking so super at the moment. Even with Shohei Ohtani now dealing with a knee injury that could leave him out of the lineup, the Dodgers are positioned strongly ahead of this game with the MLB’s best run differential at +143. Their 5.41 runs per game lead the sport and they’re even better on the road with 6.11 a night. The club’s .789 OPS paces the field with a .264/.346/.443 slash line, generating a .302 BABIP as well. Granted, they’re weaker against lefties like they’ll face tonight with a modest line of .249/.328/.420 for a .748 OPS (can you believe that’s the lesser of their splits?). In total, 21 of their 94 home runs have come off southpaws and they have an overall ISO of .179 that’s good for second in the MLB. Plus, an 0.52 BB/K ratio sits second as well behind a double-digit BB% and a 20.1% K% that sits third lowest of any team.
Tonight’s starter is RHP Roki Sasaki, who has a 3-3 record across 11 appearances in 2026. He brings a 4.03 ERA and 1.26 WHIP into this game with 60 Ks in 58.0 IP, notably recording a 3.18 ERA and 0.99 WHIP last month prior to seven scoreless innings in his lone June start. Tentatively, he’s trending up. The Dodgers’ bullpen is quite good, ranking 13th in ERA at 3.84 but also bringing a 1.21 WHIP and 16.9% K-BB%.
Chicago White Sox
Meanwhile, the White Sox continue to turn heads and defy all expectations. Following back-to-back wins, the club now sits atop the AL Central at 36-31 with an overall run differential of +10 and an excellent 22-11 record at home. The bats are genuinely exciting, scoring 4.75 runs per game with a very slight uptick to 4.85 at home. The club’s OPS of .739 ranks sixth among all teams on a slash line of .242/.327/.412. However, they get the worse of their lefty/righty splits today with a .242/.324/.405 slash line for a .729 OPS against right-handers. Still, Chicago maintains an ISO of .170 that rivals top teams and has a .290 BABIP, with 61-of-91 homers coming against right-handers as well. The White Sox aren’t without faults, though. An 0.40 BB/K ratio is on the low end and a 23.9% K% is on the high side — third highest, in fact. That could cause trouble today.
LHP Anthony Kay gets the starting nod with a 5-1 record across his 13 appearances this year. He’s pitched to a 4.40 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 46 strikeouts over 61.1 IP. Kay’s underlying numbers aren’t great, generating a very solid chase rate but struggling to get whiffs and sitting below the 10th percentile in xERA and xBA. The White Sox bullpen has a 4.29 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a 10.4% K-BB% behind him.
Dodgers vs. White Sox pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Dodgers as -171 favorites on the Moneyline tonight, with the White Sox listed at +141 odds to win outright. The total sits at an even nine combined runs between these two clubs.
Best Bet: Roki Sasaki to record a win (+114)
There’s definitely a chance for the White Sox to steal tonight’s game, especially if Ohtani is going to miss any time with his knee inflammation that popped up the other night. However, the Dodgers remain the better team by far. Could Chicago get a few runs off Sasaki in the early stages? Sure, but he’s actually looked surprisingly good in his recent starts. His control has been better with no more than two walks in a game since April 19, and he’s limited opposing lineups to less than a hit per inning in each of his last four starts as well. The same goes for earned runs, giving up just five over those last four appearances while coming off some strong outings in the strikeout department. After punching out at least seven batters in three of his last four, I think he gets the better of the Sox and gets some run support from his teammates to earn a win here.
