:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70887716/1397939394.0.jpg)
The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals square off on Thursday with first pitch set for 2:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Vince Velasquez will throw for Chicago, while Kansas City will start Carlos Hernandez.
Chicago (18-19) lost the previous two games and will look to win the five-game series with a victory on Thursday. Velasquez has a 5.53 ERA over six starts this season and allowed 7 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks, surrendering 3 home runs over 5 innings in a loss to the New York Yankees his last time out. The White Sox do not have a very good offense, which ranks second-to-last in on-base percentage, but Tim Anderson’s strong performance at the plate continued with 3 more hits in yesterday’s game.
Kansas City (14-22) will look to head into the weekend with a three-game winning streak. Hernandez has a 9.11 ERA in six starts, coming off an outing where he gave up 9 runs over 4 innings in a loss to the Colorado Rockies. The Royals also struggle offensively, and their top hitter is Andrew Benintendi, who is hitting above .300 this season.
White Sox and Royals
Pitchers: Vince Velasquez vs. Carlos Hernandez
First pitch: 2:10 p.m. ET
White Sox local broadcast: NBC Sports Chicago
Royals local broadcast: Bally Sports Kansas City
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Moneyline odds: White Sox -145, Royals +125
Picks & predictions
Moneyline pick: Royals +125
This game should go either way with two pitchers who have not thrown the ball well this season and offenses that are not very good. Let’s side with Kansas City simply because you’ll get a higher payout with them, and they’re the home team in this matchup.
Player prop pick: Tim Anderson Under 1.5 hits (-130)
The White Sox shortstop has been great this season, but relying on any player to record 2 hits is tough to do even though he will enter with such a high batting average at .338 at this point of the season.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.