Thursday, October 1, 2020, Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California, 3:10 p.m. ET
White Sox at A’s Betting Preview: White Sox (odds TBA), A’s (odds TBA)
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have their season on the line as they head into a decisive Game 3 matchup against the A’s. Chicago won the series opener 4-1 thanks to a strong performance from Lucas Giolito, but they took a 5-3 defeat in Game 2 as veteran southpaw Dallas Keuchel failed to miss bats.
Just as it did in the first two games, pitching will decide whether the White Sox win or lose in the winner-take-all series finale. Manager Rick Renteria has not committed to a starter, and it is possible that he could go with an opener rather than a traditional innings-eater. Regardless of who starts, it will be all hands on deck as Chicago eyes the American League Division Series.
One player to watch out for on the White Sox is Tim Anderson, who has six hits in nine at-bats during the series. It’s a nice turnaround for a player who went 3-for-33 (.091) in his final eight regular-season games.
Oakland A’s
The A’s fought back on Wednesday to avoid a quick two-game sweep. Now, they must repeat the magic in their second straight elimination game.
Oakland has been resilient all season, and manager Bob Melvin faces a tough decision in terms of his Game 3 starter. The White Sox feast on left-handed pitching, going 15-0 against southpaw starters this season. That includes a Game 1 win over A’s lefty Jesus Luzardo.
The problem for Melvin is that the A’s are lefty-heavy in their rotation. He could avoid that situation by turning to a right-hander such as veteran Mike Fiers, who went 6-3 with a 4.58 ERA this season. Fiers also has an exception career mark against the White Sox, 4-0 with a 1.58 ERA in eight starts.
White Sox at A’s Betting Pick for Game 3
This has been a competitive series, and anything can happen in a winner-take-all playoff contest. Give the slight edge to Oakland here because it has a deeper bullpen, and this certainly could be a game in which both managers ask their bullpen to chew up six or more innings. Melvin is a good tactician who also could give the A’s a slight edge over the White Sox’s Rick Renteria.
White Sox at A’s Betting Pick:
A’s 6, White Sox 4
White Sox at A’s Best Bet for Game 3
Given the White Sox’s proven power (American League-leading 96 home runs in the regular season) and the odds that the Athletics’ offense is due to improve after producing just 10 total hits in the first two games of the series, the final score should go up. Add in uncertainty over both teams’ pitching plans, and the over is a logical play.
White Sox at A’s Best Bet: OVER (run total and odds TBA)
–Field Level Media
