Last night, it was the Cubs (73-53) who got the Crosstown Series started with a 7-5 win. Now, the pressure shifts to their opponents, the White Sox (65-59). The South Siders hold a 4.5-game lead in the AL Central, looking to stave off multiple divisional foes. Can they even things up against their rivals tonight at Wrigley Field?
The Cubs are favorites (-170) over the White Sox; the over/under is set at nine runs. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Tuesday’s interleague showdown on DraftKings Sportsbook.
White Sox vs. Cubs pick, best bet today
- Cubs -1.5 (+113): The Cubs outlasted their crosstown rivals last night. As a result, the White Sox will be relying on a tired bullpen this evening. With Kevin Gausman on the mound, the home favorites are poised for a comfortable win.
White Sox vs. Cubs prediction, preview
Pitching has been a major road block for an otherwise solid Sox squad. That’s only been exacerbated by the recent injury to Davis Martin (blister). It’ll be Bryan Hudson getting the start tonight, likely serving as an opener. The reliever has been effective, notching a 3.13 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. This will be the right-hander’s seventh start of the season. However, he hasn’t thrown more than 1.2 innings in any of his 54 appearances this season. What happens after that remains uncertain. It could be Erik Fedde (4.51 ERA) or Jose Urquidy (8.10 ERA) serving as a bulk reliever. The latter feels like a risky proposition, having made just one MLB start since mid-April.
Regardless of who is on the mound, navigating tonight’s matchup won’t be easy. The Cubs are an offensive juggernaut, scoring the second-most runs in baseball (652) this season. This group’s secret weapon is plate discipline; they’ve worked an MLB-best 4.25 walks per game. In comparison, White Sox pitching has handed out the tenth-most base on balls (449) to opponents. Leading the way for the Cubbies will be Pete Crow-Armstrong. The two-way superstar came up big last night, notching a four-hit, two-homer evening at Wrigley. Through 126 games, the centerfielder is slashing .281/.379/.550 with 30 homers and 31 stolen bases.
The North Siders will hand the ball to their newest acquisition, Kevin Gausman. On paper, the righty feels like an ideal addition to this pitching staff. Battle-tested, he served a key role on last season’s pennant-winning Blue Jays squad. It’s been a mixed bag over two starts in Chicago. After a sublime debut against the Royals, Gausman surrendered six earned runs over 4.2 innings last week vs. Washington. Still, better times are likely ahead for the veteran. He’s one of the sport’s better arms when it comes to limiting walks (2.5 BB/9) and generating strikeouts (8.9 K/9).
If the White Sox are going to pull off an upset, it’ll likely be due to their bats. The club ranks eighth in runs scored (599), fourth in homers (166) and ninth in OPS (.729). A group of promising hitters have carried this offense, including Munetaka Murakami (150 wRC+), Miguel Vargas (131 wRC+) and Sam Antonacci (121 wRC+). With that being said, Chicago has been more effective against left-handed pitching. As previously mentioned, Gausman doesn’t put many batters on and gets his fair share of whiffs. The South Siders are averaging the league’s 11th-most walks (3.45) and fifth-most strikeouts (9.15) per game.
Best Bet: Cubs -1.5 (+113)
Last night felt like the best shot for the White Sox to pick up a win. After a ten-inning nail biter, relying on a bullpen game could prove difficult. A patient Cubs lineup will be more than willing to work the count and pick its spots in this one. Coupled with a superior arm in Gausman on the mound, it’ll be difficult to fade the home team tonight.
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