White Sox vs. Twins: Picks, predictions, how to watch Thursday’s game

The Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins square off on Thursday with first pitch set for 7:40 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Johnny Cueto (3-4, 2.91 ERA) will be on the mound for the White Sox and Sonny Gray (4-2, 3.03 ERA) is making the start for the Twins.

Chicago (43-45) was able to win two straight to earn a split in a four-game set against the Cleveland Guardians. The White Sox have struggled with consistency ever since climbing to .500 (33-33) back on June 21. They are, however, 8-6, in July and will need to win three of four against the Twins to get back to .500 at the break. Jose Abreu continues to set the pace offensive, leading Chicago in batting average (.299) and home runs (11).

Minnesota (49-41) got a much-needed 4-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday to get a split in that two-game set. The Twins have stumbled a little recently, going 2-4 over their past six games and giving up over six runs in each of those losses. Luis Arraez continues to lead the majors with a .346 batting average.

White Sox vs. Twins

Pitchers: Johnny Cueto (3-4, 2.91 ERA) vs. Sonny Gray (4-2, 3.03 ERA)
First pitch: 7:40 p.m. ET
White Sox local broadcast: NBC Sports Chicago
Twins local broadcast: Bally Sports North
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions (from DraftKings Sportsbook)

Run Line: White Sox +1.5 (-145)
Run total: 8.5
Moneyline odds: White Sox (+140); Twins (-165)

Moneyline pick: Twins (-165)

Note that if you’re looking at betting the over/under, four of the past five White Sox-Twins games have gone over 8.5 runs. Gray’s splits trend to him being a slightly better pitcher at home, but he will need to limit the walks against a White Sox lineup that has struggled against righties this year.

Player prop pick: Sonny Gray over 4.5 strikeouts (-120)

One area where Gray is clearly better at home is with strikeouts and swings and misses. He’s averaging six strikeouts a game at Target Field and he should hit that total or more against a White Sox lineup still searching for answers against right-handed pitching.

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