Ricky Dimon
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A Game 2 in the American League will begin before the Division Series in the National League even get underway. That’s because the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros got things started on Thursday and now have early afternoon treatment on Friday. Houston dominated the ALDS opener and can take control of the proceedings with another win. Let’s take a look at the best same game parlay option for White Sox-Astros, and be sure to also check out our full game preview for picks on the side and total.
Houston Astros ML (-124)
Jose Altuve to hit a home run (+400)
Lucas Giolito over 5.5 strikeouts (+120)
Part of the value in same game parlays, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is some of the plan here, as Jose Altuve going deep would obviously go well with a Houston win. At the same time, plays that aren’t correlated drive up the overall payout of the parlay. That is the case with backing Chicago starter Lucas Giolito to strike out his fair share of batters. But even if Giolito does that, there is no reason why the Astros can’t take care of business. Let’s break down each of the three legs one by one.
Houston Astros ML (-124)
The Astros made a statement with a convincing 6-1 victory in Game 1. They are hoping to put the clamps down with Framber Valdez on the mound. Valdez was excellent across 134.2 innings of work in the regular season, with a 3.14 ERA, 3.78 xERA, and a 4.01 FIP. For the White Sox, Giolito struggled with his command down the stretch of the season, posting a somewhat alarming 8.8% walk rate in his final 5 trips to the mound. Chicago seemingly had the benefit of coasting into the playoffs after securing the AL Central division early in September, but it looked flat in Game 1 as a team that has not had any serious competition in quite some time. The Astros are battle-tested following years of recent postseason success.
Jose Altuve to hit a home run (+400)
I correctly picked Yordan Alvarez to hit a home run on Friday (but missed out on an overall SGP winner because Lance McCullers Jr. failed to reach his strikeout quota). Now I feel good again about Altuve’s chances of leaving the yard, and there is especially great value on it at +400. The veteran second baseman is 3-for-10 lifetime against Giolito with 2 homers. Dating back to the regular season, Altuve has 7 hits, including 2 doubles, in the past 3 games. He is seeing it well right now, and as history has shown he always heats up even more in the playoffs.
Lucas Giolito over 5.5 strikeouts (+120)
Giolito mowed down 201 batters in 178.2 innings during the regular season. The right-hander has recorded at least 6 Ks in 6 of his last 9 starts, including 8 on 4 of those occasions. In his lone appearance against Houston on July 17, Giolito pitched a complete game and struck out 8. The White Sox used 3 different relievers for 4.2 innings in Game 1, so manager Tony La Russa won’t want to dive into his bullpen too early on Friday. Giolito’s leash won’t be short, and he should be able to reach the 6-strikeout mark even if he logs a modest 5.0 innings.
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