White Sox vs Cubs Odds
| White Sox Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -143 | 8.5 -112o / -108u | +155 |
| Cubs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +118 | 8.5 -112o / -108u | -180 |
The second edition of the 2023 Crosstown Classic begins Tuesday at Wrigley Field. The Cubs bested the White Sox by a combined score of 17-10 last month at Progressive Field and are -175 favorites to win again Tuesday in a matchup pitting Touki Toussaint (4.27 ERA, 46 and 1/3) against Kyle Hendricks (3.96 ERA, 86 and 1/3 IP).
Find a betting pick, prediction and preview for White Sox vs. Cubs below.
Chicago White Sox
Toussaint has begun to pitch deeper into ball games of late and is no doubt stretched out for pitch counts to 100. Over the last two outings, he has thrown 98 and 102 pitches despite not finding his way out of the sixth inning.
He owns a 4.55 ERA with a 1.41 WHIP in 29 and 2/3 innings since the All-Star break and an underlying profile that remains unconvincing.
Toussaint has thrown to a 4.75 xERA and 4.67 xFIP this season with a lack of command, evidenced by a 15.9% Walk Rate being his greatest flaw. Pitch models are not high on Toussaint either, as he owns a Stuff+ of 96 and Location+ of 92.
The right-hander also has pitched notably worse on the road thus far this season, with a 5.47 ERA across 26 and 1/3 innings.
Chicago's defensive play was a weakness last season, and it has remained among the team's many flaws in 2023. The Sox own a 29th-ranked DRS of -41 this year and enter this matchup in poor form on that front.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs' strong offensive play continued over the weekend in Toronto, as they put up 15 runs in the three-game set versus a strong Blue Jays pitching staff. They now own a wRC+ of 128 over the last 30 days and a BB/K of 0.43.
The Cubs have hit right-handed pitching well this season with wRC+ of 106. They have also been excellent at Wrigley, where they have hit to a wRC+ of 112 this season and slugged .575 over the last 30 days.
A lot of guys up and down the lineup have stepped up for the Cubs of late, but Cody Bellinger's .685 SLG Rate since the All-Star break has been most notable. His .328 batting average now ranks fourth in baseball, which is a remarkable rebound after he posted the sixth-worst average (.210) last season.
White Sox vs Cubs
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Cubs have put together an entirely dominant run offensively, with a strong approach at the plate being key to their success. Their splits have been even more impressive at Wrigley Field, and they have hit right-handed pitching quite well.
They should do some damage off of Toussaint in this matchup, and chances are he stays in the game for five or more innings unless the start is disastrous. Toussaint has been given a long leash in each of his last two outings.
He is priced at -115 to allow over 2.5 earned runs in this matchup, and that is my favorite play from this game. Anything better than -125 is a play for me.
