The Chicago Cubs (49-51) took down the Chicago White Sox (41-61) on Tuesday and they’ll meet again on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET at Guaranteed Rate Field. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Cubs vs. White Sox odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Cubs lead 1-0 after Tuesday’s 7-3 win
The Cubs have won 6 of their last 7 games and are still hanging around in the battle for a playoff berth. They are now 6 games back in the NL Central despite being the only team with a positive run differential (+45). They are 5 games back in the Wild-Card race.
The White Sox have had a tough season and continue to struggle, as they have dropped 6 of their last 7 games to slip 20 games under .500 on the season. They are 4th in the AL Central, 12 1/2 games back.
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Cubs at White Sox projected starters
RHP Marcus Stroman vs. RHP Lance Lynn
Stroman (10-7, 3.09 ERA) makes his 22nd start. He has a 1.14 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9 and 7.7 K/9 in 122 1/3 innings.
- Last start: Loss, 3 2/3 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 7 H, 4 BB, 4 K in 7-2 loss at St. Louis last Thursday
- 2023 road stats: 4-2, 3.11 ERA (55 IP, 19 ER) in 10 starts
- Career vs. White Sox: 2-4, 4.27 ERA (59 IP, 28 ER) in 10 starts; last faced them in 2022.
- Has been outstanding for most of the season, but has fallen on hard times lately with a 6.46 ERA over his last 5 starts. He has averaged less than 5 IP per start during that span while posting a 4.6 K/9
Lynn (6-9, 6.18 ERA) makes his 21st start. He has a 1.44 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9 and 10.9 K/9 in 115 innings.
- Last start: Loss, 6 2/3 IP, 9 R (6 ER), 3 BB, 6 K, and 4 HR allowed in a 9-4 loss at Minnesota on Friday
- 2023 home stats: 2-4, 6.11 ERA (45 2/3 IP, 31 ER) with a 1.8 HR/9 and 11.2 K/9 in 8 starts
- Career vs. Cubs: 6-8, 5.11 ERA (118 IP, 67 ER) in 23 appearances (22 starts); last faced the Cubs in 2021
- Has been very homer-prone; his HR/9 sits at 2.2 with a league-leading 28 HR allowed
Cubs at White Sox odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:28 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Cubs -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | White Sox +100 (bet $100 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Cubs -1.5 (+135) | White Sox +1.5 (-165)
- Over/Under (O/U): 9 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Cubs at White Sox picks and predictions
Prediction
Cubs 5, White Sox 3
Moneyline
Stroman has struggled over his last few starts, but is in a good spot to get back on track. The White Sox are 28th in wRC+ vs. right-handed pitching and are 27th in runs per game at home (4.00). Back the CUBS -120, as they have been rolling lately.
Run line/Against the spread
While the Sox have lost 6 of their last 7 games, 3 of those have been by just a single run. Lynn has been prone to blowups, but his skills have still been pretty strong, especially lately, as he boasts a 12.7 K/9 and 18.6% Swinging Strike Rate (SwK%) over his last 6 starts. This game should stay pretty close so PASS on the run line.
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Over/Under
The White Sox have scored 4 runs or fewer in 5 of their last 6 contests. Lynn is sporting a bloated ERA, but is due for some better luck, as he has been hurt by a .322 BABIP, a 63.7% LOB%, and 21.5% HR/F. This game should sneak in UNDER 9 (-115).
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