Two years removed from a 121-loss season, the Chicago White Sox are headed back to the postseason.
The White Sox completed a remarkable climb by finishing 84-78 and securing the No. 6 seed in the American League, becoming the first team in MLB history to reach the postseason immediately after consecutive 100-loss seasons. Their reward is a trip to Daikin Park to face the Houston Astros in a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN.
The turnaround sends the White Sox to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, and their return comes against the same franchise that ended that run five years ago. Houston beat Chicago in four games in the 2021 ALDS, adding another chapter to a postseason matchup that also includes the White Sox sweeping the Astros in the 2005 World Series when Houston was a member of the National League.
Houston had to wait until the final day of the regular season to secure its own playoff spot. The Astros finished 81-81 but captured the AL West with a 9-0 win over the Athletics, giving them their eighth division title in 10 seasons and the No. 3 seed in the American League.
The Astros also controlled the season series, winning five of seven against Chicago. Houston took two of three on the road in July before winning three of four at Daikin Park when the teams met again in late August and early September.
Tuesday’s pitching matchup won’t have the traditional look of a postseason opener. Hagen Smith gets the ball for Chicago against A.J. Blubaugh, with both clubs positioned to use their bullpens aggressively.
The Astros will also begin the series without Daulton Varsho and Brice Matthews after both landed on the injured list during the final week of the regular season. Isaac Paredes dealt with a knee issue down the stretch but returned to Houston’s lineup for Sunday’s regular-season finale.
White Sox vs. Astros Odds Today
The Astros are slight home favorites at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook for Tuesday’s Game 1:
Best Bet for White Sox vs. Astros
Over 8.5 (+100):Ā Houston’s staff allowed the seventh-most earned runs in MLB during the regular season, while Chicago finished in the middle of the pack at 17th. Now both teams are opening the Wild Card Series without a traditional starter expected to work deep, with Hagen Smith getting the ball for the White Sox and A.J. Blubaugh starting for Houston.
That puts even more pressure on two pitching staffs that weren’t among baseball’s best at preventing runs this season. In a playoff game where both managers can be aggressive with their hooks, there could be a steady stream of pitching changes and plenty of opportunities for each lineup to find favorable matchups as the game progresses.
We’ve also seen these offenses put up runs against each other already. When the teams met in Chicago in July, two of the three games easily cleared this number. Houston erased a 5-0 deficit to win the opener 9-5, while the White Sox closed the series with a 12-3 win.
Additionally, Hard Rock Bet’s Stats Hub shows that each of Chicago’s last six road games has gone Over the total runs line.
With neither pitching staff coming off a particularly strong season, both teams preparing to rely heavily on multiple arms and recent trends supporting another higher-scoring Chicago game, Over 8.5 at +100 is the side I’ll back in Game 1.
- Best Bet: Over 8.5 (+100)
White Sox vs. Astros Betting Splits
The moneyline has produced an interesting split between ticket count and handle at Hard Rock Bet:
- The Astros have drawn 59.6% of the moneyline bets, while the White Sox have received 60.3% of the money wagered.
- White Sox +1.5 has attracted 54.7% of the run line tickets and 60.7% of the handle.
- Over 8.5 accounts for 76.1% of the total wagers and 76% of the dollars.
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props
Houston’s bats occupy four of the five most-bet player props for Game 1:
- Yordan Alvarez – Over 0.5 Hits
- Yordan Alvarez – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Jeremy Pena – Over 0.5 Hits
- Munetaka Murakami – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Jose Altuve – Over 0.5 Hits
White Sox vs. Astros Game Info
- š Where: Daikin Park, Houston, Texas
- š Date: Tuesday, September 29
- ā° First Pitch: 5:00 PM ET
- šŗ TV: Peacock, NBCSN
- ā¾ Probable Pitchers:
- White Sox: Hagen Smith
- Astros: A.J. Blubaugh
More Ways to Bet
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