Cubs vs White Sox Betting Preview

Friday night will feature a Windy City showdown as the Chicago Cubs (56-73) take on the Chicago White Sox (74-55) in a crosstown classic. The Southsiders will host this one at Guaranteed Rate Field, with first pitch scheduled for 8:10 pm ET.

This will be the first of a three-game set between the two teams.

Coming into Friday, the Cubs have endured a real rough stretch. They have lost four of their last six games and come in 22.5 games back in the division. With the shot of a postseason spot obsolete, the Cubs are simply playing for pride this weekend.

Like the Cubs, the White Sox have also lost four of their last six games, but they hold a very comfortable nine-game lead in their division. Still, with the season winding down, the White Sox will look to get in their groove as they hope to make a deep postseason run this year.

The White Sox are overwhelming favorites playing at home. They are -245 to win while the Cubs’ moneyline sits at +200. The runline features the Cubs +1.5 (+102), and the over/under for total runs is 9.5.

Pitching Matchup

The Cubs will send righty Keegan Thompson to the mound Friday. Mostly used as a reliever this season, Thompson is 3-3 with a 2.42 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and has 44 strikeouts in 44.2 innings over 28 games.

The White Sox will counter with lefty Dallas Keuchel (8-7, 4.71 ERA). While Keuchel is no longer the Cy Young-caliber pitcher he was before, and he is still a savvy veteran that can keep his team in it. Despite that, he has hit a rough stretch over his last seven games, going 1-4 with a 5.87 ERA.

By The Number

Offensively, the White Sox have been one of the best teams in baseball. They currently rank eighth in scoring, averaging 4.88 runs per game. The Cubs fall to 23rd averaging 4.17 runs per game (3.83 on the road).

The White Sox hold the edge on defense, too. They currently rank fourth in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 3.88 runs per game (3.58 at home). The Cubs rank 24th allowing 4.95 runs per game.

Cubs Try To Avoid Road Woes

At 56-73, it has undoubtedly been a rough year for the Cubs. Not only did they trade off the core pieces from their World Series championship in Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez, but they look like a shell of the team that won it all in 2016.

Despite the season, they have a winning record at home (33-32), but it is on the road that they have struggled. To date, they are just 23-41 when playing away from Wrigley Field.

With their massive turnover, it is Patrick Wisdom that currently is the best hitter for the Cubs. He leads the team in home runs (21) and runs batted in (44) while hitting .251/.313/.539.

White Sox Look To Stay Hot At Home

Like the Cubs, the White Sox have been much better at home (42-23) than on the road (32-32). As the home team this weekend, they will look to take advantage of their home success. Reigning AL MVP Jose Abreu continues to lead the offense for the White Sox. He is currently hitting .257/.338/.489 with a team-leading 27 home runs and 97 runs batted in.

Since returning from injury, Luis Robert has also been swinging a hot bat. In his last 12 games, the outfielder is hitting .373/.407/.608 with three home runs and eight runs batted in.

Take The White Sox To Win At Home

Anytime that these Chicago rivals match up, you can almost always throw out the records. Still, it is hard to envision the Cubs keeping pace with the White Sox.

Tony LaRussa’s squad just dominates the Cubs in every aspect of the game right now, and their records reflect it.

Given the nature of their rivalry, taking the Cubs +1.5 might not be an awful bet, but taking the White Sox to win straight up is the one you can do with the most confidence.