Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians August 20 Betting Preview

After taking the first game of the series on Friday, the Cleveland Guardians (64-55) will try to make it two in a row as they take on the Chicago White Sox (61-59) on Saturday. The two AL Central rivals will square off at Progressive Field in Cleveland, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:10 pm ET.

Cleveland was able to take the first game of the series Friday night behind a dominant performance on the mound by Triston McKenzie. In seven innings, he allowed two runs on six hits while striking out 14.

Offensively, Jose Ramirez hit his 23rd home run of the season. The top of the lineup was extremely productive as the top five hitters combined for eight hits, five runs batted in, and four runs scored.

Chicago’s offense managed seven hits on the night. Jose Abreu led the way with two hits and a run batted in, but it wasn’t enough for the White Sox to pick up the victory.

Guardians August 20 Betting Odds

The Guardians are the favorites playing at home Saturday. They are -178 to win while the White Sox moneyline sits at +150. The runline features Chicago +1.5 (-154), and the over/under for total runs is 7.5.

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White Sox vs. Guardians Pitching Matchup

The White Sox will send 36-year-old veteran Johnny Cueto to the mound Saturday. He has been fantastic this season, going 5-5 with a 2.78 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and has 71 strikeouts in 110 innings.

Shane Bieber will take the ball Saturday for Cleveland. In 22 games, he is 8-6 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and has 140 strikeouts in 138.2 innings.

Bieber comes in having won four games in a row. In that span, he has allowed just five runs in 27 innings of work.

White Sox Trying To Avoid Slide

After having won five games in a row last week, the White Sox come into Saturday’s game with three straight losses. Now 3.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central, Chicago will look to prevent sliding further in the standings.

Against Shane Bieber, keep an eye on first baseman Jose Abreu. In 39 career at bats versus the righty, he is hitting .282 with three home runs and four runs batted in.

Yoan Moncada (.250 avg, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Eloy Jimenez (.357 avg, HR, 2 RBI), and AJ Pollock (.500 avg, HR, 3 RBI) have also had success against Bieber in their careers.

Cleveland Looks To Secure Series Win At Home

With the top three teams separated by just 3.5 games in the AL Central, the Guardians know that every victory can be crucial in the last third of the season. Trying to secure a series victory Saturday, Cleveland will look to also improve on their 32-24 home record.

Andres Gimenez continues to be one of the Guardians’ hottest hitters over the last month. In that span, he is hitting a ridiculous .354/.429/.556 with four home runs, 15 runs batted in, 15 runs scored, and nine stolen bases.

On the season, Jose Ramirez continues to be Cleveland’s best overall hitter. After homering Friday, he is now hitting .283/.354/.542 with 23 home runs, 99 runs batted in, and 67 runs scored on the season.

Cleveland Looks To Keep Momentum Going Saturday

Having won seven of their last ten games, the Guardians have been on quite a roll as of late. Still, they would love to secure the series win on Saturday as they will have to face one of the Cy Young favorites in Dylan Cease on Sunday.

The trends certainly favor Cleveland Saturday. The White Sox have lost four of their last five on the road. They are also just 2-4 in their last six when playing as underdogs.

For the Guardians, they are 10-3 in their last 13 games, 6-2 in their last eight games against division opponents, and they are 7-3 in their last ten against American League opponents.

Johnny Cueto has quietly been one of the best pitchers for Chicago this season, but if Shane Bieber can keep his strong string of outings going, Cleveland has a great shot of taking Saturday’s game.