Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox Preview
From Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have an interleague matchup between the White Sox and Cubs. This one gets started at 8:05 PM ET and NBCS is carrying it on TV.
The Cubs are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -297 compared to the White Sox at +244. This game features a White Sox club that has lost 11 straight and they are 5th in the AL Central, while the Cubs are 3rd in the NL Central. Chris Flexen is starting for the White Sox, and the Cubs are sending Shota Imanaga to the mound.
Check out BetCoco for Chicago Cubs – Chicago White Sox odds
Chicago Cubs Trends and Key Stats
- The White Sox are 1-4 in their five most recent road games, including a 2-3 runline record.
- On the other side, the Cubs have gone 1-4 (SU) and 2-3 in their previous five home contests.
- In their last ten games as the favorite, the Cubs have a record of 3-7 straight-up, and have gone 1-9 against the runline.
- When playing as the underdog, the White Sox have won 0-10 of their previous ten games straight-up, while going 1-9 against the runline.
Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox Prediction
Chicago closed out their series vs. the Brewers with a 6-3 loss on the road. Heading into the game, the White Sox were at +279 on the money line. Things started off well for the White Sox, as they got on the board with two runs in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Brewers scored four times in the 2nd.
Nick Nastrini had a rough outing, giving up four earned runs on three hits and issuing three walks. The White Sox’s offense scored their only other run in the 4th inning on a Paul DeJong home run but went on to lose 6-3.
With an overall record of 15-45, the White Sox are 5th in the AL Central, 24.5 games behind the Guardians for the division lead. So far, they have really struggled against other AL Central teams, going 5-19. Chicago heads into today’s matchup with the Cubs having dropped 11 straight games, spanning their series vs. the Brewers and Tigers.
At home, the White Sox are just 10-21 this year and have gone 5-24 on the road. This season, they are 2-0 as the favorite and 13-45 as the underdog. When playing during the day, the White Sox are 5-21 and 10-24 in night games. So far, they have an overall series record of 4-14-1, and they have dropped five straight series.
When the White Sox are on the road, they are 9-20 against the run line, and their average run differential is -2.9. They have been an underdog in 58 games, going 22-36 against the run line. Their average run differential in losses is -3.9.
Chicago White Sox games have averaged 8.0 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 27-30. When the over/under line is set at 9 runs, the White Sox have gone 1-6-1. Only 3.3% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs, and 83.3% of their games have had lower lines.
Through 10 starts, Chris Flexen has a record of 2-5 and an ERA of 5.50 for the White Sox. His WHIP for the season is 1.41. Flexen has made 12 appearances this year and has turned in two quality starts. In his last outing, Flexen took the loss, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work. He allowed five hits, four walks, and one homer in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight starts. Flexen’s ERA at home is 7.04 compared to 5.07 on the road.
As a team, the White Sox are averaging just 2.9 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. Not only are they the worst home run hitting team in the league, but they also have the worst team batting average in the MLB. Looking at their team on-base percentage, they are also at the bottom of the league rankings.
Paul DeJong and Eloy Jiménez are tied for the team lead with five home runs apiece, but DeJong is batting just .231 this season, and Jiménez is not far ahead at .231. DeJong has also gone just 6/30 in the team’s last nine games. Corey Julks is on a six-game hitting streak and has gone 10/34 in his last nine games.
The Cubs will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Reds with a 5-2 loss. This was especially tough, as it was the Reds who scored four runs in the 2nd inning to break things open. Chicago’s offense scored their only two runs in the 4th.
Ben Brown took the loss, going five innings and giving up five earned runs on six hits. He also issued three walks and hit a batter. The Cubs started Cody Bellinger, and he was hot at the4 plate, going 3/4 with a run scored.
Chicago is 29-31 overall, putting them 3rd in the NL Central, seven games behind the Brewers for the division lead. The Cubs will host the White Sox today and are 7-12 in divisional games this year. The Cubs have really struggled to close out series, as they are just 7-10-2 this year, and they have dropped six straight series overall.
At home, the Cubs are 16-13 this year compared to a 13-18 mark on the road. As the favorite, the Cubs are 13-13 and 16-18 as the underdog. So far, they have dropped eight of their last ten games, with their most recent series loss coming at the hands of the Reds.
When the Cubs win, they win by an average of 3.1 runs per game, but when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.3 runs per game. Their overall run line record is 30-30, and they are 18-13 against the run line on the road. They are 12-17 against the run line at home and 23-11 against the run line as the underdog.
The Cubs are playing at home today against the White Sox. The over/under line for the game is set at 9 runs, which is slightly higher than their combined run average for the season of 8.8. The Cubs have an over/under record of 27-30 on the season, and their average over/under line for the season is 8 runs. When the over/under line is set at 9 runs, their record is 2-4-2. So far this season, only 8.3% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs or higher.
Shota Imanaga will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing as he gets the start for the Cubs today. The left-hander gave up seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work against the Brewers in his last start, coming away with the loss. Before that outing, he had put together three straight appearances without giving up a home run. Imanaga has a record of 5-1 this season and an ERA of 1.86. Looking at his home/away splits, he is 2-0 at home with a 1.11 ERA compared to 3-1 on the road with a 3.19 ERA.
Chicago’s offense has been pretty average this season, as they are 15th in the league in runs scored at 4.3 runs per contest. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per game. The Cubs have been one of the league’s worst hitting teams so far, with a team batting average of just .228.
Christopher Morel has been a bright spot for the Cubs this season, as he is 10th in the league with 10 home runs and his 35 RBIs are 13th in the MLB. Morel is hitting just .195, however. Cody Bellinger has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 14/40 over his last nine games with one homer and five RBIs.
For this White Sox vs. Cubs matchup, we are recommending that you go with the White Sox on the money line, as they are paying out at +244. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the White Sox, giving you a couple of different ways you could look to bet this one.
If you’re looking for a starting pitcher to target, Chris Flexen has the highest projected innings among all starters today. However, his strikeout numbers are not great, with him projected to finish with just four K’s. As for the Cubs starter, Shota Imanaga is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the third-best among all starters.
Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox Betting Tips
- We like the White Sox on the moneyline (+244)
- The White Sox are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Chicago Cubs Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Yency Almonte | Out | Shoulder |
| Colten Brewer | Out | Back |
| Keegan Thompson | Out | Illness |
| Adbert Alzolay | Out | Forearm |
| Julian Merryweather | Out | Ribs |
| Caleb Kilian | Out | Teres Major |
| Jordan Wicks | Out | Forearm |
Chicago White Sox Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Max Stassi | Out | Hip |
| Dominic Leone | Out | Elbow |
| Mike Clevinger | Out | Elbow |
| Andrew Benintendi | Out | Achilles |
| Eloy Jiménez | Out | Hamstring |
| Yoán Moncada | Out | Groin |
| Luis Robert Jr. | Out | Hip |
| Matt Foster | Out | Elbow |
| Jimmy Lambert | Out | Shoulder |
| Jesse Scholtens | Out | Elbow |
| Dominic Fletcher | Questionable | Shoulder |
| Andrew Vaughn | Questionable | Finger |
| Steven Wilson | Out | Back |
| Shane Drohan | Out | Shoulder |
