The Chicago White Sox (15-45) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (29-31) on Tuesday, June 4th. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on NBCS. Both the White Sox and Cubs are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 7:05 CT.
White Sox vs Cubs
Chicago closed out their series vs. the Brewers with a 6-3 loss. Heading into the game, the White Sox were at +279 on the money line. Things started off well for the White Sox, as they got on the board with two runs in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Brewers scored four times in the 2nd.
Nick Nastrini had a rough outing, giving up four earned runs on three hits and issuing three walks. The White Sox’s offense scored their only other run in the 4th inning on a home run by Paul DeJong but went on to lose 6-3.
At 15-45, the White Sox are 5th in the AL Central and trail the Guardians by 24.5 games. They come into today’s game on an overall losing streak of 11 games. Chicago is just 5-19 in divisional games this year and have gone 2-0 as the favorite this year.
Chicago has really struggled on the road this year, going 5-24 compared to 10-21 at home. The White Sox are also just 5-21 in day games this year. So far, they have been the underdog in all of their road games.
When the White Sox are the underdog, they have a run line record of 22-36. They are 9-20 against the run line on the road. Their average run differential in losses is -3.9 runs per game.
The Chicago White Sox have played in 57 games this season, and only 3.3% of those games have had an over/under line set at 9 runs. Their games have averaged 8.0 runs per game, and their over/under record for the season is 27-30.
Chris Flexen Gets The Start For The White Sox
The White Sox are sending right-hander Chris Flexen to the mound today as he faces off against the Cubs on the road. Flexen has made 10 starts this season and has a record of 2-5 with a 5.50 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Flexen has a WHIP of 1.41 and opponents are batting .255 this season. In his last outing, Flexen took the loss, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work. He finished with six strikeouts in that outing. One issue for Flexen has been the long ball, as he has allowed eight homers this season. Flexen has made two quality starts this year.
White Sox Offense Breakdown
For the season, the White Sox are the worst hitting team in the league, averaging just 2.9 runs per game. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs, team on-base percentage, and OPS. As a team, the White Sox are batting just .214, and their team on-base percentage is just .276.
Paul DeJong and Eloy Jiménez are tied for the team lead in home runs, but DeJong is batting just .231 for the season, and Jiménez isn’t much better at .231. Gavin Sheets is also batting just .237 but has a team-high 22 RBIs. Over his last nine games, Corey Julks is hitting .294, and he is currently on a six-game hitting streak.
Chicago closed out their series vs. the Reds with a 5-2 loss. Heading into the game, the Cubs were the slight favorite at -124 on the money line. Things started off well for the Cubs, as they got on the board with a run in the 2nd inning but gave up the lead right away as the Reds scored four times in the top of the 2nd.
Ben Brown got the start for the Cubs and took the loss. He only lasted five innings, giving up five earned runs on six hits. The Cubs also issued three walks in the 8th inning.
Chicago is 29-31 overall and trails the Brewers by seven games in the NL Central. So far, they are just 7-12 in divisional games. The Cubs will host the White Sox today, and they are 16-13 at home this year.
The Cubs have dropped six straight series, and they are just 7-10-2 in series play this year. As the home favorite, they have gone 9-9 this year and 13-13 when favored overall. Chicago’s overall record as the underdog is 16-18. Looking at their recent performance, the Cubs are just 2-8 over their last 10 games.
Chicago Cubs have been a solid run line bet this season, going 30-30 overall. They have been even better on the road, going 18-13, compared to 12-17 at home. They have been especially good against the run line as an underdog, going 23-11. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.1, while it’s -3.3 in losing games.
Today’s over/under line of 9 runs is slightly higher than the Cubs’ average combined run average of 8.8 runs per game. The Cubs have played 47 games with lower over/under lines than 9 runs, and their over/under record in those games is 27-30. When the line has been set at 9 runs, the Cubs have gone 2-4-2 in those games.
Shota Imanaga Gets The Start For The Cubs
Shota Imanaga will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing as he gets the start for the Cubs today. Against the Brewers on May 29th, he got the start and took the loss, going just 4 1/3 innings and giving up seven earned runs. In that outing, he gave up one homer. Before that start, Imanaga had put together three straight outings without giving up a homer. His record for the season is 5-1, and he has an ERA of 1.86. Looking at his home/away splits, Imanaga is 3-1 on the road with a 3.19 ERA compared to 2-0 at home with a 1.11 ERA.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Chicago’s offense has been pretty average this season, as they are 15th in runs per game at 4.3. This is the same number of runs they are averaging both at home and on the road. The Cubs are also near the bottom of the league in batting average, with a team-wide average of just .228.
Christopher Morel and Michael Busch are both in the top 2 in the league in home runs for the Cubs, but Morel is batting just .195 this season, and Busch is hitting .241. Cody Bellinger has been hot of late, going 14/40 in his last nine games, including one home run and five RBIs.
White Sox vs Cubs Prediction
There are a couple of ways you could look to play this White Sox and Cubs matchup, but with the White Sox to win, we like taking them on the money line at +244. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the White Sox, so you could also look to take the over, as the line is currently sitting at 9 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Chris Flexen going 6.1 innings and finishing with four strikeouts. As for Shota Imanaga, he is projected to go 5.2 innings and finish with seven strikeouts.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 4, 2024 Cubs, White Sox