The Chicago White Sox are headed to the MLB playoffs, barring one of the most epic collapses in baseball history. The Sox’s magic number is seven — the combined games they need to win and the Cleveland Indians need to lose for them to clinch the AL Central.
From there, it’s a matter of matchups. If the season ended today, Chicago would travel to Houston in the ALDS to take on the Astros. The Astros currently have a three-game lead on the Sox for home-field advantage.
The Tampa Bay Rays, meanwhile, are cruising to the No. 1 seed in the American League. Tampa has a 4.5-game lead on Houston, so if the Sox advance to the ALCS, they would head to Tropicana Field if the bracket goes chalk.
While the Sox aren’t a juggernaut, they have the talent to win the World Series if all the pieces click at the same time.
Here are Chicago’s MLB betting odds at Illinois sports betting apps.
White Sox 2021 World Series odds
Check out the best Sox prices at sportsbooks in Illinois:
Even though the Sox are currently third in the AL standings, at DraftKings Sportsbook, they have shorter odds to win it all than the Rays.
When looking at the postseason in the context of the regular season, Chicago is a unique team. It has the benefit of playing in one of the worst divisions in baseball, and has had a significant lead over Cleveland for most of the year.
Therefore, manager Tony La Russa hasn’t had to deploy his roster with the urgency of some of his counterparts.
For example, Sept. 14 marked just the second time all season that Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Jose Abreu, Yasmani Grandal, Eloy Jimenez and Yoan Moncada were all in the starting lineup in the same game.
Those are Chicago’s six best-position players, and if all goes according to plan, they will start every playoff game. Due to a combination of injuries and La Russa’s philosophy on regular-season rest, we still haven’t consistently seen the Sox at full strength.
In Carlos Rodon, Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito, Sox fans have to feel pretty good about their playoff starting rotation. Rodon and Lynn each have ERAs of 2.50 or lower.
The bullpen will be a huge X-factor come October. On paper, it’s an elite group, but that hasn’t always played out on the field.
All eyes will be on marquee trade deadline acquisition Craig Kimbrel, who’s been objectively disappointing since coming over from the Cubs. Kimbrel has a 5.82 ERA with the Sox since the deal compared to a 0.49 mark before it.
Ways to bet on the White Sox in the playoffs
While placing a World Series future on the White Sox is one way to bet on them this postseason, there are a variety of others.
Illinoisans can bet on the moneyline, run line, over/under, etc., for each game. There will also be individual prop bets available, such as whether Grandal will hit a home run in a game or Rodon’s over/under strikeout total.
Customers can also bet on the White Sox to win the series vs. the Astros or win the AL.
First five betting is also becoming an increasingly popular way to wager on baseball, and you’ll be able to do that this postseason as well.
With a first five line, you’re simply wagering on which team will be winning the game after five innings. It’s a way to minimize bullpen importance, and also turns what is generally a marathon of a sport into a sprint.
White Sox COVID rules at Guaranteed Rate Field
As of now, the White Sox will host fans at Guaranteed Rate Field at full capacity for the postseason. The stadium seats more than 40,000 people.
Masks are required in enclosed indoor spaces, such as a team store. Otherwise, they are not required. Fans do not need to be vaccinated to attend a White Sox game.
Guaranteed Rate Field is also cashless for the 2021 season, and all tickets are mobile.
The ALDS is a best-of-five series, and the Sox will likely be the road team against the Astros. Therefore, Chicago is only guaranteed one home game this postseason.
But with a lengthy run, that number could increase. Sox fans everywhere have been thinking about October since May, if not sooner, so there will be a lot of anxiety on Chicago’s south side in just a few weeks.
