Rangers vs White Sox Betting Odds: First-Place Texas Going All-In at Deadline

The first-place Texas Rangers will host the Chicago White Sox for a three-game set, starting Tuesday. In the opener, Texas is -1.5 (+110) on the run line and a -210 favorite to win outright. Chicago, meanwhile, is +1.5 (-110) on the run line and +180 on the moneyline. The projected total is 9, with the Over juiced to -120.

Read on as we break down the Rangers vs White Sox betting odds in our series preview.

Rangers Strengthen Pitching

The Texas Rangers are all-in. That much is obvious after they swung deals to fortify their pitching staff, adding three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery, in addition to reliever Chris Stratton, in advance of Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline.

For the Rangers, pitching was an obvious need. All-Star Nathan Eovaldi is now on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain, and Jon Gray and Andrew Heaney both were hit hard in July. Not to mention, Jacob deGrom, the Rangers’ big offseason acquisition, will miss the rest of this season as well as the start of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Clinging to a 1.0-game lead over the Houston Astros atop the American League West, Texas couldn’t afford to be patient.

At 60-46, the Rangers are a pretty safe bet to make the playoffs. But again, their hold on the AL West is tenuous at best. Their -120 division odds are only slightly better than Houston’s (-105).

Notably, the Rangers are just 2-7 over their last nine games. They’ve allowed an average of 7.3 runs during that stretch, including three games with double-digit runs. Keep that in mind when assessing the Rangers vs White Sox betting odds.

Chicago Looks Toward the Future

Whereas Texas is focused on the now, the Chicago White Sox are prioritizing the future. They’ve already begun to plan for next year and beyond, trading two of their most prominent pitchers in starter Lucas Giolito and reliever Kendall Graveman.

At 43-64, the White Sox are 11.0 games out of the AL Central and 16.5 behind the wild card. Only two teams, the 32-75 Kansas City Royals and 30-77 Oakland Athletics, entered Monday with a worse record in the AL. And, judging by the White Sox’s fire sale, their place in the MLB standings won’t improve much over the next two months.

Chicago currently ranks bottom 10 in runs (23rd), average (21st) and OPS (27th), along with ERA (24th) and WHIP (23rd). Outside of a few selective hitters, including outfielder Luis Robert Jr., who is second in the AL with 29 homers, there isn’t a whole lot to be excited about at the moment.

Odds Outlook

The Rangers have been among the most profitable teams in baseball for bettors, with a 61-45 record against the run line. According to MLB odds, only the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles have covered the spread at a higher rate than Texas (57.6%). The Rangers are also an MLB-best 33-21 ATS at home, including 24-18 when favored. Conversely, the White Sox are 54-53 ATS, including 30-25 on the road.

Game 1

• Jon Gray vs TBD (Tuesday, 8:05 p.m. ET)

Gray is 6-5 with 3.66 ERA. However, his ERA in July is 5.48, and he’s failed to go past the fifth inning in his last two starts. Chicago will counter with rookie Jesse Scholtens. The 29-year-old right-hander has made 16 appearances this season, albeit just two starts. He is 1-3 with a 3.32 ERA and has allowed 38 hits in 38 innings. Keep that in mind as you assess the Rangers vs White Sox odds.

Game 2

• Andrew Heaney vs Dylan Cease (Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET)

Heaney is 7-6 with a 4.62 ERA. Like Gray, Heaney has struggled in July to the tune of a 5.40 ERA. In his last start against Chicago, June 19, the left-hander allowed two runs over 5.2 innings in a 5-2 win. He opposes Cease, who is 4-4 with a 4.15 ERA. Cease’s 143 strikeouts rank 13th in MLB. He gave up two runs over six innings while striking out nine in a 7-6 victory over Texas on June 20, per MLB scores.

Game 3

• Max Scherzer vs Touki Toussaint (Thursday, 2:05 p.m. ET)

Scherzer will make his Rangers debut following the trade from New York. The 39-year-old right-hander has seen his ERA climb to 4.01, more than a full run higher than his first season with the Mets (2.29). While he’s continued to miss plenty of bats, striking out 121 in 107.2 innings, home runs have been a glaring problem. He’s allowed 23 homers over his first 19 starts, tied for sixth-most in baseball.

Toussaint has bounced between the rotation and bullpen since being claimed off waivers from Cleveland last month. The 27-year-old former top prospect shut out the Guardians last Friday, scattering three hits over five innings in a 3-0 win.

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