Chicago Cubs favored on the run line as White Sox bullpen faces serious availability concerns
I didn't have the best day yesterday as I went 0-2 on the diamond. Neither of the games was a terrible call; they just didn't go the way that I wanted them to go. The Phillies only won by one run, when I needed them to cover the run line (in this case, I guess putting up the -220 was a better option than the -1.5 at -110). Then the Mets squeaked out a victory over the Padres, winning the game 2-1, and handing me another loss. I probably should've just gone with the under, but that's easy to say now. Let's make some of that cash back in a cross-town rivalry series between the White Sox and Cubs.
The Chicago White Sox are significantly better than anyone expected them to be this season. They come into today's game with a lead in the American League Central, and they are six games above .500. They can't let their foot off the gas, as they have three teams within 5.5 games of them, and there are still roughly 35 games to play. For a team that doesn't really have any superstars and doesn't have a true Ace on the roster (aside from maybe Luis Castillo, who is having a down year), this is a really impressive season for the team.
The White Sox lost the opener (more on that later), and now look to even up the series. Tonight, they send out Bryan Hudson to the hill. Hudson is more of an opener than a true starter, as he has had a lot of work out of the bullpen. This is not the first time Hudson has "started" a game; this is the seventh time. However, you really should only expect the lefty to throw one inning because he has only thrown more than one complete inning in five of his 54 appearances. None of them were two full innings. The White Sox do have one of the best bullpens in baseball, but they used four guys yesterday, and three of them may not be usable today.
The Chicago Cubs are about the exact level of successful that you would expect. They are 20 games over .500, but they are still looking up at the Milwaukee Brewers. They also can't let up on their march to the postseason, as there are plenty of teams chasing them in the Wild Card race. However, it does seem like they are more comfortable at the moment than most other teams in that race. Their biggest issue seems to be figuring out which pitchers are usable and which are not.
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It is a good problem to have - pitching depth. They didn't have that for the majority of the season, but they've acquired at least four starting pitchers this season and are hopeful that gives them enough to not only get to the postseason, but compete in it. Kevin Gausman, one of the guys they traded for, is taking the ball today. For the Cubs, he has made two starts, and they have had very different results. Both have been road outings. In the first, he went seven innings and allowed just four hits in a 6-4 win. The second one was against the Nationals, where he allowed six earned runs in 4.2 innings. White Sox hitters haven't fared very well against him, going just 7-for-41.
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Yesterday's game was a good one. The Cubs started the game with back-to-back homers from Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki. That lasted until the White Sox hit a three-run shot of their own with Randal Grichuk. The Cubs took the lead again with some help from White Sox errors. Then the White Sox grabbed a late lead with a pinch-hit Andrew Benintendi homer. In the 9th, the Cubs struck again, getting help from walks and timely hitting from Nico Hoerner. In the bottom of the 10th, the White Sox, for some reason, decided it was a good idea to pitch to Crow-Armstrong with first base open. He sent the fourth pitch of the inning over the right field wall for a walk-off homer.
This is a game the Cubs should take and not have all that many problems. I don't like the way the White Sox are set up for this game. I think that the under is a good look. Gausman is a strong pitcher, but this is his first start in Chicago, and that can be a difficult thing for a lot of arms. The wind is expected to be blowing out as well. I'll stay off the total. Instead, I'm taking the Cubs on the run line. They have the better-set-up bullpen, the better starter, and they can play both long and small ball. Give me the Cubs -1.5 at +125.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024