White Sox, Mariners American League Best Bets for August 5

There are multiple games today beginning this evening on the American League schedule, and there’s value to target in these spots. Below, you can find both games from the American League and some of our best bets on the FanDuel Sportsbook.

Chicago White Sox (-196) vs. Texas Rangers (+164) Total: 8 (O -104, U -118)

The Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers will continue their four-game weekend series from Globe Life Field this evening. The home side picked up a 3-2 victory in the opener last night, with the White Sox owning a 6-4 record over their past ten, while the Rangers are 4-6 over that same stretch. The White Sox have hung around in the American League playoff race, but they’ve faltered whenever they’ve gotten close enough to make an actual move. The good news for the South Side is that they’ll have a distinct advantage on the mound, and that’s been something they need to utilize if they have hopes of evening up this series with the Rangers. 

Pitching hasn’t been a strong suit for the Rangers this season, while the top end of the White Sox rotation has been very good and helped keep them alive in the postseason race. One of the best arms in the AL is set to take the hill tonight for the White Sox in Dylan Cease, while the Rangers are expected to counter with Glenn Otto. Cease has an 11-4 record with a 2.01 ERA and 161 strikeouts, while Otto is 4-7 with a 5.50 ERA and 57 punchouts. Cease has been one of the most consistent arms in baseball over the last two months, where he hasn’t allowed more than one earned run in a start since May 24. That alone has helped him get back in the AL Cy Young race, which he has the potential to make interesting down the stretch. 

There’s no avoiding looking in the White Sox’s direction when Cease is on the hill. That’s one of the reasons why the White Sox are sizable favorites on the moneyline at -196, which will be a stiff price to swallow on this slate of games. Their price on the run line is much more digestible at -110, and that number is one you should look to target tonight. 

Best Bet: White Sox run line  (-110)

The Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners will kick off a three-game series tonight from T-Mobile Park. The Angels are coming off a game against the Oakland Athletics, where they tied an MLB record by hitting seven solo home runs but still lost the game 8-7. After the loss, the Angels are now 4-6 over their past ten games, while the Mariners are 6-4 over that same sample size. The M’s have made a nice push over the last month and a half, leading to them sitting with the second Wild Card position in the American League. After an offseason where additions were made, the Mariners are realizing their potential, with plenty of young, budding stars at the forefront. 

Opening things up on the mound will be a battle between lefthanders. Mariners offseason signing Robbie Ray will take the hill while the Angels counter with Patrick Sandoval. Ray has an 8-8 record with a 4.11 ERA and 139 strikeouts in his first season in Seattle, while Sandoval is 3-7 with a 3.61 ERA and 97 punchouts. Ray has been a much different pitcher on the mound at home this season, where he has a 2.96 ERA in 11 starts, compared to a 5.50 ERA on the road in 11. With the Mariners at home tonight, they should have a significant advantage, which explains why they’re large favorites on the moneyline at -198. 

The Mariners have been a good home team, but they’ve been even better with Ray on the bump. Ray has yet to face the Angels this season, and there’s definite value in the Mariners run line, which is listed at +112. 

Best Bet: Mariners run line (+112)