MLB Betting Picks – Manny Ramirez Makes White Sox Debut

So begins another chapter in the Manny Ramirez saga, this time with the Chicago White Sox. Something about Manny in that black uniform just fits, he suits that South Side Chicago mentality, and we’ll soon find out if this indeed is a good fit for both Man-Ram and the Chi Sox. The park where he made his name will be the spot for his debut, as he joins his new team in the middle of a very big baseball betting series with the Cleveland Indians.

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 60% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? Find out more exciting details HERE.]

MLB Betting Line:

Spread: Chicago -1 ½ (+115), Cleveland +1 ½ (-135)

Moneyline: Chicago (-135), Cleveland (+115)

Over/Under: 9 ½

Date: Tuesday, August 31 – 7:05 PM ET
TV: CSN, STO

Probable Pitchers:
CHI Edwin Jackson, RHP (8-10, 4.44 ERA), CLE Justin Masterson, RHP (5-12, 5.23 ERA)

It’s not yet certain whether Manny will be in the starting line-up for Tuesday’s game, but we don’t see any reason he wouldn’t be. He comes back to the American League after a two year stint with the Dodgers that saw him bat .322 with a .433 on-base percentage and a .580 slugging mark.

Ramirez is going to step into the DH role for the White Sox, which is a great move for a team that needed something to spark a run for the AL Central chase with the Twins. The Sox are 8-13 in their past 21 games and 11-14 since the All-Star break, the only thing keeping them close is that the Twins haven’t done much to put any distance between themselves and Chicago. Those Twins are leading the division by only four games, so as long as they are able to put some wins together, the Chi Sox should be able to make it a competitive race down the stretch.

Here are some betting trends for this MLB Betting contest:

• White Sox are 8-3 in their last 11 Tuesday games.
• White Sox are 30-13 in their last 43 games as a favorite.
• Over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Cleveland.
• Over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.

The Sox need to build on any momentum they can as they are in the middle of their longest road trip of the year while the Twins are on a nine game homestand. The Sox really don’t have any easy games other than the ones in Cleveland as they head to Boston and then Detroit after this series. That means wins now are crucial, and they have the right man on the mound tonight. Edwin Jackson has been lights out since coming over from the D-Backs, going 2-0 with a miniscule 0.96 ERA for Chicago. Cleveland will send Justin Masterson to the mound to counter, with the young righthander only managing five wins so far this season.

Combine the way Jackson has been throwing the ball for Chicago with the debut of Manny Ramirez, and that is all I need to lay a bet down on the Sox. They were able to take out the Tribe last night, and I think they do it again tonight.

MLB Betting Pick: Chicago (-135)

Check out this and all baseball lines at Betus.com