White Sox vs. Guardians Game 2 Odds, Picks, Predictions: Offensive Regression Coming (April 20)

White Sox vs. Guardians Game 2 Odds

The second game of Wednesday's double header will be another interesting match up between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians.

The situation to monitor will be which position players end up getting the night cap on or off depending on their usage in game one. For the most part, it shouldn't have too much of an impact on either line up, but still worth paying attention to if you're looking for a last minute pregame edge.

Jimmy Lambert (not to be confused with Colorado Rockies legend Peter Lambert) makes his second start of the season, hoping to rebound after a short but forgettable start in his last turn against the Seattle Mariners.

Triston McKenzie will make his first home start of the season after solid four innings in his last start against the Cincinnati Reds.

White Sox Bullpen Well Rested

Jimmy Lambert's leash in game two is going to have a lot to do with how Dallas Keuchel performs in game one. If Keuchel gets knocked around and the White Sox have to turn to the bullpen early in game one, Lambert might get the opportunity to go a little deeper in this game.

On the plus side, the White Sox bullpen has had two full days of rest and Keuchel is pretty much a lock to throw five innings almost every start.

On the down side, this is Lambert's third start and fourth appearance against the Guardians and his career numbers are not great. He has a 4.70 ERA against the Guards in his career and they are hitting .313 against him. Even for a team that is considered a poor hitting team, this is pretty sketchy.

However, Lambert may be on a short leash with a relatively full bullpen at the White Sox's disposal. So if Lambert does get in trouble, the White Sox pen should stop the bleeding.

McKenzie Looking to Find Form After Down Year

Triston McKenzie takes the hill for the Cleveland Guardians and the promising right-hander is looking to take a step forward and claim a role in the Guards deep starting rotation.

McKenzie always seems to be on the verge of a breakout, and his 2020 debut made it seem as though he was going to be the next Guardians farmhand to develop into a solid rotation piece. McKenzie struggled in 2021, but looks to right the ship this season.

There still is not a lot of data to make any conclusions about McKenzie, but in a small sample in 2020, McKenzie seemed to feel really comfortable pitching at home. He posted a 2.40 ERA with a 2.28 FIP at home before his rough 2021.

If that is any indication, McKenzie might be well suited to take on a veteran White Sox team in the second leg of a double header.

McKenzie has looked okay in seven innings so far this season, but those came against the Reds and Royals. This will be a real test for the still 24-year-old McKenzie.

White Sox-Guardians Pick

Considering the Guardians offense is returning to earth and the White Sox offense is slightly underproductive to start the year, this could be a sneaky under play in game two.

The White Sox still have a lot of hype, but still haven't broken out the way people are used to and hopefully McKenzie can take advantage of that.

With Lambert on a short leash and with a good and rested bullpen behind him, I like the under here.

Pick: Under 8 +100