The Chicago White Sox will host the Los Angeles Angels on FS1 this Memorial Day. Although the White Sox haven’t looked great this season, they’ll at least benefit from home-field advantage. Let’s get into the betting odds for Monday’s Angels-White Sox game to make our MLB predictions and identify the best bet. We’re locking in a no-runs first inning, or NRFI, play for tonight’s action.
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Best MLB Angels-White Sox Bet & Prediction: Value on the NRFI Market
Los Angeles Angels-Chicago White Sox Odds
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Los Angeles Angels: +116 | Chicago White Sox: -136
Over 8: -108| Under 8: -112
YRFI: -128 | NRFI: +100
Although these teams both rank fourth in their respective divisions, the 28-26 Los Angeles Angels actually have a shot at a Wild Card berth, while the 22-33 Chicago White Sox, well, don’t. The Angels will start RHP Griffin Canning (3-2), whose 4.95 ERA is a bit worse than his 4.46 xERA. The White Sox will start RHP Michael Kopech (3-4), who, after a tough start to the season, owns a 4.24 ERA, which is slightly better than his 5.30 xERA. Notably, Kopech owns a 0.00 ERA through his last two starts and 15 innings pitched.
Kopech’s recent form suggests the White Sox have an edge on the mound, but they definitely don’t have one on offense. The White Sox rank a terrible 26th in weighted on-base average, or wOBA, at .296. They rank 29th in expected weighted on-base average, or xwOBA, at .304. They have fared worse than expectations despite their home stadium Guaranteed Rate Field, ranking as the sixth friendliest park for hitters. In contrast, the Angels rank an impressive 10th in wOBA at .327 and ninth in xWOBA at .330.
The splits suggest runs should come at a bit of a premium, but the betting trends point to solid scoring. The Angels own a .750 OPS that dips to .718 on the road and to .737 against right-handed pitchers like Kopech. Likewise, Chicago’s .680 team OPS dips to an even more embarrassing .665 against right-handed pitching, although it does improve slightly to .714 when they play at home. The Angels are a solid 12-11-3 to the over when playing on the road, and the White Sox are 13-11-1 to the over when playing at home.
With both starters owning steady stats, I’m actually locking in a no runs first inning bet, or NRFI, for today’s Angels-White Sox game. Kopech is in solid form and hasn’t given up a first-inning run in his last three starts. Canning has surrendered first-inning runs in two of his last four starts, but his slip-ups came against the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals, two respectable offenses. Pinnacle has the NRFI priced at -111, but we can find it at +100 on FanDuel Sportsbook. Haven’t signed up for FanDuel yet? You can get a no-sweat first bet worth up to $1,000 by signing up now!
Best Angels-White Sox MLB Bet: No Runs First Inning (NRFI) +100 at FanDuel
