It was a rough day at the park for the Astros in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card series against the White Sox. Not only did they lose the game at home, but they also got booed by their home crowd in the process.

The Astros go into a must-win game with Hunter Brown on the mound going against Sean
Burke for the White Sox.

Oddsmakers expect the Astros to bounce back, pricing them as -150 favorites in Game 2 with the Over/Under sitting at 7.5 total runs.

White Sox vs. Astros Game 2 prediction, best bet

Both the Astros and the White Sox went with their bullpens in Game 1, but the move backfired for Houston immediately.

The Astros hoped to get multiple innings out of their opener, AJ Blubaugh, but he couldn’t get them one. They had to use eight relievers in the series opener, which puts a ton of pressure on Brown in Game 2.

Pitching wasn’t the only issue for Houston. Christian Walker’s error in the first led to the first run of the game and set the stage for more sloppy defense from the Astros. The Astros were supposed to be the veteran team in this series, but they looked like this stage was new to them.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve during Game 1. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The White Sox looked poised for a team that hasn’t been in this position. They racked up 11 hits and four walks in Game 1, and while they won 6-3, it felt like the final margin could have been wider.

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The starting pitching matchup for Game 2 is fairly even, but the fact that the ‘Stros ran through an already thin bullpen is concerning.

The White Sox were the better team all season, and any home-field advantage the Astros had at Daikin Park was exposed in Tuesday’s opener.

I’ll back the White Sox to close things out in Game 2.

The Pick: White Sox Moneyline (+125, bet365)

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Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.