Posted at 10:00 AM EST. Odds are subject to change.

Chicago +130 over Cleveland

5:00 PM EST. We don't see any reason to come off the White Sox just yet. Period. They're on fire, they can't wait to get to the ballpark, and they're winning. Give us momentum, a young team playing with enthusiasm and a price like this on a hot team, and you can pencil us in.

Chicago took Game 1 and there was nothing fluky about it. Cleveland managed just three hits, its top five hitters went a combined 0-for-18, and the Guardians failed repeatedly when they had opportunities to change the game. Meanwhile, the White Sox bullpen worked 6? scoreless innings. This is a confident Chicago team playing loose while Cleveland is already feeling the pressure of being the favorite that dropped the opener at home.

There is no denying that Cleveland has the starting-pitching advantage with Gavin Williams. He had an outstanding season, led the American League with 248 strikeouts and finished particularly strong. But we're not laying -150 in a playoff game because one team has the better starting pitcher, especially when neither manager has any reason to leave a starter in long enough to blow up the game.

Chicago's plan is particularly interesting. Anthony Kay gets the start, but he's essentially an opener. The White Sox will be happy to get a few innings from him before turning things over to Sean Burke, who is working on regular rest. Burke faced Cleveland three times this season and allowed just two earned runs over 17? innings while striking out 30% of the hitters he faced. More importantly, if either Kay or Burke gets into trouble, Chicago has absolutely no reason to fool around. The bullpen is rested, tomorrow is an off-day and everybody is available.

Cleveland has the same luxury, but the difference is we're getting +130 with Chicago. The Guardians were the weaker offensive club coming into this series, and one game did nothing to change that assessment. José Ramírez has been ice cold since the beginning of September, and Cleveland's inability to generate offense in Game 1 extended well beyond a couple of missed opportunities with runners in scoring position.

Williams is good enough to shut anybody down, but Chicago has already seen him four times this season. Cleveland lost three of those four games, and Williams isn't unhittable. He's susceptible to the home run, and this White Sox lineup has enough power to change a game with one swing. In October, when bullpens are rested and starters are on short leashes, the gap between starting pitchers doesn't carry nearly as much weight as it would on some random Tuesday in June.

And then there's the part that doesn't show up in any projection. Chicago is young, dangerous and playing with absolutely nothing to lose. After everything this franchise has been through, these guys are having a blast. They're playing their best baseball at exactly the right time, and every victory adds another layer of confidence.

The market still hasn't completely bought into the White Sox. That's fine with us. As long as they're playing like this and we're being offered plus money, there is no reason to get off the train

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