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The Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs square off on Tuesday with first pitch set for 7:40 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Michael Kopech will get the start for the White Sox, while the Cubs will begin with Drew Smyly on the mound.
The Cubs snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday as they get ready for this three-game set. Smyly has been excellent early on with a 2.79 ERA through four starts, though he has not thrown more than 5 innings in any of those games. The Cubs rank third in on-base percentage, and they’ve gotten a ton of production out of centerfielder Ian Happ, who’s batting .303 with a .420 OBP.
The White Sox split a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels with a 3-0 win on Monday. Kopech has had a similar start to Smyly - effective in short starts. He hasn’t thrown more than 5 innings but has a 1.42 ERA going into start No. 5. The White Sox do not hit all that well as a team, but shortstop Tim Anderson will enter this matchup with a .329 batting average.
White Sox vs. Cubs
Pitchers: Michael Kopech vs. Drew Smyly
First pitch: 7:40 p.m. ET
White Sox local broadcast: NBC Sports Chicago
Cubs local broadcast: Marquee Sports Network
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Moneyline odds: White Sox -135, Cubs +115
Picks & predictions
Moneyline pick: Cubs +115
This game feels like it could go either way, so there is going to be value on whichever side would result in the higher payout. The Cubs have the better offense in this matchup despite struggling at the plate during the Milwaukee series. There is not a significant starting pitching edge in this matchup, so let’s go with the home underdogs to win Game 1 on Tuesday night.
Player prop pick: Jose Abreu over 0.5 hits
Abreu is only hitting .224 to start the year, but consistently gets one hit in his games. He hasn’t had a multi hit game since April 10th. Even so, Abreu is riding a five-game hit streak. It should reach six because he has a very favorable matchup against Drew Smyly. Abreu is currently 6-11 against Smyly with two doubles and a home run.
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