Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox August 21 Betting Odds & Analysis

Sunday will feature the rubber match of a three-game series between AL Central rivals as the Cleveland Guardians (64-56) host the Chicago White Sox (62-59). This game will be played at Progressive Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 12:05 pm ET.

After storms delayed the start of Saturday's game, things never got brighter for the Guardians. They ultimately lost 2-0 to Chicago after being stymied by Chicago's Johnny Cueto.

In total, he went 8.2 innings, allowing no runs on five hits. Liam Hendricks came in for a third of an inning to secure his 28th save of the season.

For Cleveland, Shane Bieber was also excellent, giving up two runs (one earned) in 6.1 innings of work. He allowed five hits, walked three, and struck out four.

The Guardians managed just five hits in the ball game, including two from designated hitter Oscar Gonzalez. Unfortunately for Cleveland fans, the top five in the lineup combined to go just 2 for 20.

Guardians vs. White Sox August 21 Betting Odds

The White Sox are the favorites in Sunday's finale despite playing on the road. They are -126 to win while the Guardians' moneyline sits at +108. The runline features Chicago +1.5 (+130), and the over/under for total runs is eight.

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Pitching Matchup

Chicago will send one of the best in the game to the mound Sunday in the form of righty Dylan Cease. Currently holding the second-best odds to win the AL Cy Young (+240), Cease is 12-5 in 24 starts with a 2.09 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and he has 178 strikeouts in 133.2 innings.

The Guardians will counter with righty Aaron Civale. In 14 games, he is 2-5 with a 5.63 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and he has 66 strikeouts in 64 innings. Civale took a no-decision in his last start after giving up one run in six innings while striking out ten against the Detroit Tigers.

By The Numbers

Offensively, the Guardians hold the edge as they rank 16th in the majors in scoring, averaging 4.38 runs per game. The White Sox rank 19th averaging 4.23.

Defensively, it is again Cleveland with the edge. They rank 11th in scoring defense as opponents are averaging just 4.11 runs per game against them. The White Sox rank 22nd as they are allowing 4.48 runs per game to opponents.

Chicago Looks To Ace To Win Series

Dylan Cease is having a remarkable season and could be on the brink of a Cy Young award if he can finish the season strong. Having given up just ten runs in his last 70.2 innings combined, the White Sox have to feel confident about a series win coming into this one.

Still, Cease gave up as many as three runs in his last start for the first time since June 9. While Cease will look to bounce back, the Guardians will hope to attack.

Keep an eye out for Eloy Jimenez in this one. In 11 career at bats against Civale, he is hitting .455 with two home runs and three runs batted in.

Guardians Have Work Cut Out For Them

With their loss on Saturday, the AL Central tightens up that much more as the top three teams are separated by just 2.5 games. With the Guardians having the unenviable task of facing off with Dylan Cease, they will try to find a way to pick up a win and maintain their division lead Sunday.

Albeit in limited at bats, there are some Guardians' hitters who have had success against Cease. Steven Kwan (.429 avg), Owen Miller (.500 avg), Josh Naylor (.364 avg, 2 RBI), Jose Ramirez (.333 avg), and Amed Rosario (.308 avg) have had success against the righty.

Austin Hedges is the only slugger who has a home run off of Cease to go along with two runs batted in, but he is also hitting just .167 in six at bats.

Cleveland Hopes To Find Victory, Keep An Eye On The Under

After the White Sox were able to upset Guardians' ace Shane Bieber on Saturday, Cleveland is hoping to repay the favor in the finale as they take on Dylan Cease. If Civale can limit the damage, the Guardians have the firepower to push across a couple of runs against Cease.

It won't be easy for the Guardians, but it also wouldn't be shocking if they can pull off the win, especially since there are a handful of hitters who have seen the ball well off of Cease in the past.

It is also worth noting that the under could be an interesting play Sunday. In four of the White Sox's last six games, the under has hit. Similarly, the under has hit in eight of the Guardians' last 11 games. Between Cease and Civale, there is a good chance this game could stay under the eight runs (-115).