The Blue Jays play their first road game of the new season Friday by opening a three-game series at likely the American League’s worst team in the Chicago White Sox.

Toronto is -200 on the MLB odds with a total of 7.5 for the Sox’s home opener. It was rescheduled from Thursday due to rain.

Betting Analysis

This was to be a rather unusual series in the Blue Jays’ only visit to the South Side of Chicago this season is that it was set to open Thursday but then no game Friday with the final two as typical Saturday and Sunday. But inclement weather Thursday put an end to that. It allows both clubs to have fully rested bullpens.

The 2024 White Sox set the MLB modern-day record for fewest wins in a season with 41, but they improved to 60 in 2025 and probably take a bit of another jump this year. To win at least 70 games, they are +180. The franchise seems on the right track back to contention with a very good farm system and some promising young position players. That group will be added to this summer when Chicago picks No. 1 overall in the MLB draft and is expected to take superstar UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.

Toronto hasn’t lost a season series to the White Sox since 2021 but split six last year, going 2-1 in Chicago. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. struggled in the overall series at 3-for-20. George Springer hit .353 with three runs scored.

Toronto Blue Jays

Every MLB team will have multiple bad losses a season, but the Blue Jays losing 2-1 at home to wretched Colorado on Wednesday despite a dominant outing from ace Kevin Gausman will rank high on the list in 2026. You just can’t lose a home series to the Rockies, but that was the rubber match. Toronto was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position Wednesday and 4-for-24 in the series. But no complaints about a season-opening 4-2 homestand overall. The Jays were 40-41 away last season ahead of their first road game.

Big-ticket off-season free-agent addition and righty Dylan Cease makes his second start in a Blue Jays uniform Friday. The first was a success last Sunday vs. Colorado as he got the victory, allowing two runs and three hits over 5.2 innings with nine strikeouts and one walk. If Cease keeps his walks down, he can be as dominant as anyone. He knows pitching at Chicago’s Rate Field as he spent 2019-23 with the franchise. Cease faced the White Sox last September while with the Padres, allowing four runs over six innings on the South Side in a loss. That would prove to be his final decision in a San Diego uniform.

Chicago White Sox

Just like the Blue Jays have a Japanese infield import who is an AL Rookie of the Year candidate in third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, the White Sox have their own in third sacker Munetaka Murakami. He’s off to a solid start at the plate with three homers, four RBIs and a 1.027 OPS.

The Pale Hose will use Grant Taylor as a one-inning opener and right-hander Sean Burke as the primary pitcher Friday. The 26-year-old was 4-11 with a 4.29 ERA in 2025 as a rookie and lost his 2026 debut in Milwaukee, surrendering three earned and seven hits over four innings.

Burke was shelled in his lone career start vs. the Blue Jays, coming last July in Chicago. He allowed six runs and six hits with three walks over five in a lopsided loss. Joey Loperfido, Addison Barger and Nathan Lukes all homered off him.

Burke is 5-5 with a 3.80 ERA and .248 opponents’ batting average against in 85.1 career home innings spanning 18 appearances and 15 starts. Chicago is 1-5 in large part due to a pitching staff with a league-worst 8.63 ERA.

MLB Prediction: Who Will Win Blue Jays vs. White Sox?