Stand up Chicagoans! In one of the more underrated rivalries in baseball, the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox will meet in the Windy City Showdown at Guaranteed Rate Field to begin a short two-game series starting on Saturday. It is time to dive into our MLB odds series, where our Cubs-White Sox prediction and pick will be revealed for all to see.
The Cubs will be eager to try to use the energy of this highly anticipated crosstown series to help themselves give a better effort than what they showed in their previous games against Cincinnati. At 18-26, good for third in the NL Central, the Cubs will send out right-handed hurler Keegan Thompson, who has yet to show any blemishes on his 2022 resume with a perfect 4-0 record and a dazzling 1.54 ERA.
Showing glimpses of being a possible playoff-contending team, the White Sox are still trying to find their identity as the season progresses into its summer months. Fortunately, the former Royal, Red, and Giant in Johnny Cueto was recently signed by Chicago and has yet to give up a run in his two starts in the south side.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Cubs-White Sox MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Cubs-White Sox Odds
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-176)
Chicago White Sox: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 8 (-108)
Under: 8 (-112)
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Why The Cubs Could Cover the Spread
With the epic collapse of the pitching staff on Thursday versus the Reds, the Cubs are surely excited to move on to the weekend slate and forget about how Cincinnati racked up the most runs they had scored in 23 years. It was also the most runs the Cubs have surrendered since July 3rd. 1999. The beauty of baseball is that there will always be another day to hit the reset button, as this has to be the mindset for the Cubs heading into their matchup with the White Sox.
On paper, the Cubbies are a middle-of-the-pack hitting squad and have definitely seen their hardships on the mound. Ranked 13th in runs scored with 192 total, the Cubs' best quality on offense is finding a way to reach base even in the most unconventional ways. Whether it is taking a walk or slapping a base hit past the outstretched arms of a defender, the Cubs' .313 on-base percentage is the 13th best in the majors. One of the best hitters this season for the Cubbies has been CF Ian Happ, who leads the club in average at .275, 25 RBIs, and 38 hits.
Pitching-wise, the Cubs have been pretty dreadful to say the least statistically, but this could not be less true for the expected starter in Keegan Thompson. Thompson has been absolutely electric in his ten appearances which have also included a pair of starts. In those outings, the 27-year-old has tossed nine innings combined while surrendering only two runs. In two career appearances versus the White Sox, Thompson has compiled a 7.94 ERA, a number that should improve if he continues his stellar play on Saturday.
Why The White Sox Could Cover the Spread
With an even record of 22-22 through 44 games, the White Sox have certainly been inconsistent to begin their campaign. With the dream of playing in the postseason still fresh in the minds of the ‘Sox, they will need to find a way to play more effectively as games become more important deeper into the season.
Similar to that of the Cubs, the White Sox enter play on Saturday after getting pelted by run after run. When the smoke cleared after nine innings were all but concluded against Boston at home, the White Sox had given up a season-high 16 runs. With both the Cubs and White Sox surrendering a whopping 36 runs combined during their latest games played, something has to give between the two rivals this evening.
The stats have not been particularly kind to the White Sox through 44 games, but the outstanding play of shortstop Tim Anderson has kept this team afloat. In his 157 at-bats, Anderson is raking an exorbitant .363, which leads the club by a considerably wide margin. Since the White Sox have only scored 161 runs on the season, playmakers like Anderson will be a major reason why the White Sox will have a chance to cover the spread.
With Cueto's sense of swagger on the mound, the confidence throughout Chicago's pitching room should give this scuffling group a much-needed boost on Saturday. After going 7-7 with the Giants in 2021, the Dominican Republic-born twirler is 9-10 with a 3.48 ERA in his 27 career starts versus the Cubs.
Final Cubs-White Sox Prediction & Pick
Both of these squads are pretty evenly matched, but there can only be one winner. While the White Sox have struggled at home with a 10-12 record, don't be surprised if Thompson matched Cueto's play with a gem of his own. Whether or not the Cubbies can come out victorious against their crosstown rivals remains to be seen, but they should at least be able to cover the +1.5 spread as underdogs.
Final Cubs-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Chicago Cubs +1.5 (-176)