White Sox vs. Blue Jays MLB Picks: Toronto's Young Flamethrower Takes on Chicago's Tricky Vet

The Toronto Blue Jays look for the three-game series sweep at home on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox. On the mound, Toronto sends out Alek Manoah to do battle with Chicago's Johnny Cueto. Here are our White Sox-Blue Jays picks.

Pitchers beware, the Blue Jays' bats are heating up. Toronto has won seven straight games, during which it's scored at least six runs in six contests and allowed more than five only once. Now the Blue Jays send AL Cy Young contender Manoah to the hill to square off against Cueto and the White Sox.

Meanwhile, Chicago is somewhat reeling with injuries piling up. Outfielder Eloy Jimenez remains on the injured list, and star shortstop Tim Anderson joined him there on Monday. Third baseman Yoan Moncada is also sidelined with a quad issue, though he appeared as a pinch-hitter Wednesday.

However, despite the contrast in their recent play and overall record, both teams sit five games back in second place in their respective divisions. Wednesday's series finale will serve as a test of Toronto's ability to win the games it really should - and needs - as the season progresses.

Here are my MLB picks and predictions for Thursday’s game between the White Sox and Blues Jays (odds via BetMGM and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

White Sox vs. Blue Jays Game Info

Date: Thursday, June 2, 3:07 p.m. ETTV: Sportsnet, NBC Sports Chicago, MLB NetworkLocation: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ONWeather: Indoors

White Sox vs. Blue Jays Odds

White Sox vs. Blue Jays Odds Analysis

The Blue Jays opened as -200 favorites and now sit around -190 despite 93% of the cash coming in on the home team. Toronto is getting that percentage of the handle on 84% of the tickets, which shows some sharp action on the Blue Jays. Those looking to back the underdogs can bet on the White Sox at +175 with Caesars Sportsbook.

The total opened at 8.5 and remains there following a brief spell of DraftKings Sportsbook offering an Over/Under of 8.

White Sox vs. Blue Jays Projected Pitchers

RHP Johnny Cueto (0-1, 2.41 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) vs. RHP Alek Manoah (5-1, 1.77 ERA, 0.91 WHIP)

The 15-year veteran Cueto is far removed from his days of finishing as a Cy Young contender, but he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Cueto has managed to suppress runs thus far this season despite some truly horrendous peripheral statistics.

His .287 opponent expected batting average ranks in the 16th percentile, thanks mostly to his obsession with throwing his slider (24.8% usage) and changeup (13.1% usage), both of which hitters are crushing. His 17.9% strikeout rate is a far cry even from last year's mark, and his whiff rate is among the worst in baseball. This game profiles as the perfect time for Cueto's 2.41 ERA to regress closer to his expected mark of 3.70.

Manoah is also due for some regression (his expected ERA is nearly a full run higher than his sparkling 1.77 mark), but there's a lot in his profile that suggests he's a budding ace. The young right-hander's Statcast page has more red in it than the eyes of a high school class on April 20.

His 28.6% hard-hit rate and 4.1% walk rate are both in the 92nd percentile, and opponents are hitting just .174 against his slider - which he features over 30% of the time. Manoah's surface stats will regress eventually, but don't be surprised if that doesn't happen against a depleted White Sox lineup.

White Sox vs. Blue Jays Picks

Run line: Blue Jays -1.5 (+110 via BetMGM) ????Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+100 via BetMGM) ???Prop bet: Bo Bichette Over 0.5 RBI (+160 via PointsBet) ???

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White Sox vs. Blue Jays RL Pick

Blue Jays -1.5 (+110)

Toronto has taken the first two games against Chicago in this homestand, and those were against stud starting pitchers Lucas Giolito and Michael Kopech. Now, the rapidly ascending Blue Jays get Cueto on Thursday afternoon.

Chicago will need Cueto to provide some length, as it was forced to burn four relievers on Wednesday after using three on Tuesday. Right-hander Kyle Crick will almost certainly be unavailable out of the bullpen after pitching in the last two games, and usual set-up man Kendall Graveman is on the restricted list for the trip to Toronto.

A limited bullpen with Cueto on the mound is a recipe for disaster for the White Sox. Chicago will also travel to Tampa Bay for its next game on Friday, so it will try to avoid entering that next series without the services of multiple relievers. That means right-hander Matt Foster could also be used sparingly - or not at all - on Thursday in an effort to make him available for that first game against the Rays. Tampa Bay notoriously plays tight games and forces its opponents to dig deep into their bullpen.

Look for the Blue Jays to tee off on Cueto early before scoring some insurance runs against Chicago's shakier bullpen arms. Toronto covered the run line in a 7-3 win on Wednesday and should do so again with ease in this matinee affair.

White Sox vs. Blue Jays O/U Pick

Over 8.5 (+100)

My only reservation about betting the Over in Thursday's game is Chicago's inability to contribute. Manoah is yet to allow more than two earned runs in any start this season and is fresh off a nine-strikeout performance against the Los Angeles Angels.

However, White Sox outfielders Luis Robert and AJ Pollock's return to the lineup on Wednesday helps the cause, as does first baseman Jose Abreu's bat heating up.

Seven of the last 10 Blue Jays games cashed the Over on this total, including both in this series. Toronto should do most of the heavy lifting, with Chicago helping push this to the Over with two or three runs of its own.

White Sox vs. Blue Jays Prop Bet

Bichette Over 0.5 RBI (+160)

Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette has suffered some relative struggles this season, with his lowest batting average and slugging percentage since he entered the league in 2019. His biggest issue has been an inability to hit - and his tendency to swing and miss at - breaking pitches. He had a .290 batting average against breaking pitches in 2021, compared to only a .200 average and .369 slugging percentage against them this season.

Luckily, for Bichette, Cueto's slider is garbage. Bichette is still hitting fastballs this season - albeit still to a lesser degree than last year - and has started to heat up, with three home runs and nine RBI in the last two weeks. The 24-year-old is also hitting much better at home this season, with an .851 OPS compared to a .605 mark on the road.

If Jays outfielder George Springer remains out with an illness, Bichette's RBI chances take a hit. But second baseman Santiago Espinal has still done an admiral job atop the Blue Jays' lineup, and bottom-of-the-order hitters Matt Chapman and Danny Jansen can provide Bichette with opportunities, too, when the lineup turns over.

Where to Bet on White Sox-Blue Jays Picks

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White Sox-Blue Jays picks made 6/2/2022 at 11 a.m. ET.