The Chicago White Sox have been one of the bigger surprises in baseball again this season, and once again it is for all of the wrong reasons. The team that was picked to be among the best in baseball this season has struggled and is looking up at two teams in the American League Central alone. One of the teams that the White Sox are looking up at is the Detroit Tigers, which makes the three-game sports betting set between these two teams that much more important.
Detroit Tigers @ Chicago White Sox
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 – 8:10 PM ET
US Cellular Field, Chicago, Illinois
MLB Betting Pick: Detroit Tigers – 110
The White Sox cannot afford to slide any further out of contention, while Detroit will look to this series as an opportunity to gain some ground on both Chicago and the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central. The Tigers haven’t been great on the road this season, but neither has the White Sox at home.
MLB Betting Preview: Detroit Tigers
The Tigers cannot perform at a .500 level on the road and make a World Series run, so whether or not they hold on to first place the focus for the remainder of the season should be on performing regardless of where they play. Detroit will have a strong shot to get the win on Tuesday with their ace Justin Verlander on the mound, as he won’t ask the offense to do too much to help him. Verlander is 13-5 with a 2.24 ERA, and he has allowed more than one earned run just once through his past nine MLB starts. Jhonny Peralta has been a pleasant surprise with his .322 average, and he is surrounded by a ton of offensive talent.
MLB Betting Preview: Chicago White Sox
The White Sox record at home is simply inexcusable, as is the play of hitters such as Adam Dunn, who symbolize all that is wrong with the team so far this season. Dunn will need to do something to help Chicago get to Verlander, while the pressure will be on veteran Jake Peavy, who has also struggled mightily this season. Peavy is 4-4 on the year but his inflated 5.19 ERA is the worst of his career, and he could be in trouble against one of the most powerful offenses in the majors.
MLB Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
The Tigers have too much firepower for the White Sox to compete with as long as Peavy is on the mound, and considering how good Verlander has been it doesn’t look like Chicago’s chances at home are very good once again. Detroit is alone out front in the AL Central, but not by much, and will need this win to push the White Sox even further away while keeping some distance between them and the Cleveland Indians in the race for the sports betting bonus division title.
Gambling Advisor blog Pick: Detroit Tigers - 110
