Game 2 of the ALDS in Cleveland, Ohio, is set for Monday as the Guardians host the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. The Guardians made the MLB playoffs as the American League’s No. 2 seed, earning a first-round bye after finishing just ahead of the White Sox in the AL Central standings. Chicago finished one game back and punched its ticket as a Wild Card team and the No. 6 seed, but the White Sox are a perfect 3-0 this postseason, including Saturday’s Game 1 victory.
After sweeping Houston in two games on the road in the AL Wild Card Series, the White Sox kept that momentum going in yet another road playoff game, this time in the ALDS against their division rivals, earning a 3-0 shutout win. White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami launched a 440-foot two-run home run to give his team a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning of Game 1, and Colson Montgomery later hit an RBI double in the seventh while five Chicago pitchers combined to limit Cleveland’s offense to just three hits in the shutout.
Anthony Kay was one of those five pitchers for the White Sox in Game 1, throwing 22 pitches over 1.1 innings in the fourth and fifth. The left-hander has already appeared in two games this postseason for Chicago, but he’s set to make the first playoff start of his MLB career after making 31 starts during the 2026 regular season.
The Guardians will counter with right-hander Gavin Williams on Monday. Williams posted a 14-8 record with a 3.76 ERA and 248 strikeouts across 32 regular-season starts. The former first-round pick has made two career playoff starts, owning a 0-1 record with a 3.24 ERA over 8.1 innings.
Find White Sox vs. Guardians predictions, picks, and more below for Monday’s ALDS Game 2 at Progressive Field.
White Sox vs. Guardians Odds for Game 2
The White Sox enter Monday with a 1-0 series lead, but the Guardians are listed as home favorites at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook for Game 2 with Williams on the mound:
White Sox vs. Guardians Predictions
This playoff series offers plenty of storylines to be excited about, whether it’s two division rivals who have played each other tough all year long, a young and exciting up-and-coming White Sox team that seems to be playing its best baseball at the perfect time, or a Guardians team looking to win the franchise’s first World Series since 1948.
Regardless of the reason you’re here, Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook has you covered with a wide range of baseball betting markets as well as its Stats Hub, which provides valuable insights and trends to help make wagers for the game, like our White Sox vs. Guardians prediction below:
Guardians vs. White Sox Best Bet: Munetaka Murakami Over 0.5 Home Runs (+325)
Munetaka Murakami was a highly touted player coming over from Japan prior to the 2026 season, and the 26-year-old hasn’t disappointed. While he hit for just a .207 average during the regular season, Murakami launched 35 home runs and was named an AL All-Star.
Murakami is batting .250 so far this postseason, but he has three RBIs through three games and is coming off a two-hit performance in Game 1 against Cleveland, when he hit that go-ahead two-run home run in the fourth inning as mentioned above.
The Stats Hub notes that Murakami has recorded at least one RBI in each of the White Sox’s last six games against AL Central opponents. While that is another available market at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook, we’re still looking at his home run potential, which would also give him at least one RBI if he launches one Monday.
Murakami is also set to face Guardians starter Gavin Williams, whom he has only six career plate appearances against. Williams may have the advantage in the head-to-head matchup, having struck him out three times while allowing only one hit, but that one hit was notably a solo home run. Murakami hit 28 of his 35 home runs against right-handed pitching during the regular season, and he now has three career home runs in seven games played against Cleveland, including the playoffs.
- Guardians vs. White Sox Player Prop Pick for ALDS Game 2: Munetaka Murakami Over 0.5 Home Runs (+325)
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props for CWS-CLE
José Ramírez went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in Game 1, but his hits prop is the most-bet player prop for Game 2 Monday, with Murakami’s home run prop not far behind:
- José Ramírez – Over 0.5 Hits
- Munetaka Murakami – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Steven Kwan – Over 0.5 Hits
- Miguel Vargas – Over 0.5 Hits
- Munetaka Murakami – Over 0.5 Hits
White Sox vs. Guardians Betting Splits for Game 2
Here’s how the action is trending at Hard Rock Bet for White Sox vs. Guardians Game 2 in Cleveland:
- The Guardians are attracting more support on the moneyline with 54.6% of wagers and 64.2% of the dollars.
- The White Sox are drawing 61% of wagers on the run line, but Cleveland is receiving 72.3% of the dollars.
- The Over is the preferred play on the total with 68.6% of wagers and 78.6% of the dollars.
White Sox vs. Guardians Game Info
- 📍 Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
- 📅 Date: Monday, Oct. 5
- ⏰ First Pitch: 5:00 PM ET
- 📺💻 TV/Streaming: TBS, truTV
- ⚾ Probable Pitchers:
- White Sox: Anthony Kay
- Guardians: Gavin Williams
- 🏆 Stage: ALDS – Game 2
More Ways to Bet
One swing can cash your ticket, but until then, Florida players can keep things interesting with Real Money Games powered by Past Motor Racing, only on Hard Rock Bet. It’s another way to stay engaged between plate appearances.
Referenced odds are subject to change.
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