Two teams vying to stay in their respective league's Wild Card race meet head-to-head on Friday as the Boston Red Sox (48-43) travel to take on the Chicago Cubs (42-47).
- Red Sox vs Cubs Game Info
- < strong>Red Sox vs Cubs Odds & Spread
- Red Sox vs Cubs Betting Trends
- Red Sox vs Cubs Prediction & Pick
- Red Sox vs Cubs Best Bet
Red Sox vs Cubs Game Info
- Date:'Friday, July 14, 2023
- Time:'8:05 p.m. ET
- Venue:'Wrigley Field — Chicago, IL
- Coverage:'NESN and Marquee SN
The Red sox did what they needed to do in order to end the first half on a high note as they captured series wins over the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics. Meanwhile the Cubs followed up a series split with the Milwaukee Brewers by taking two of three away games against the New York Yankees.
Red Sox vs Cubs Odds & Spread
- Moneyline:'BOS: (-134) | CHC: (+114)
- Spread:'BOS: -1.5 (+122) | CHC: +1.5 (-146)
- Total:'9 — Over: (-122) | Under: (+100)
The Red Sox enter this contest as small road favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 8:05 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 9 runs with the Over favored at -122 odds.
Red Sox vs Cubs Betting Trends
- Boston is 3-6 straight up in its last nine games against the Cubs.
- The total has hit the under in five of Boston's last seven away games against the Cubs.
- The Cubs are 1-6 straight up in their last seven home games.
- The total has hit the over in six of the Cubs' last eight games.
Red Sox vs Cubs Prediction & Pick
It's safe to say the Red Sox would not be five games over the .500 mark at this point if it weren't for the efforts of Brayan Bello. The starting pitcher has logged a 3.04 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 14 starts. He is back on the mound in this one, which is notable as Boston has won four of his last five starts.
The Cubs will counter with veteran Kyle Hendricks, who has logged a 3.04 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in nine starts this summer. Keep in mind he is coming off an outing in which he gave up 4 earned runs on 10 hits against the Yankees. He cannot afford to allow batters to reach base given Boston's lineup depth.
The Red Sox rank fourth in all of baseball with a .274 batting average with runners in scoring position. Not only that, but they also rank fourth in on-base percentage this season (0.333). Getting runners on and in has not been an issue, so look for Bello to get the run support needed to dominate once again.
Final Score Prediction:'Red Sox: 5 | Cubs: 3
Red Sox vs Cubs Best Bet
Those willing to take on juiced odds should not hesitate to back the over Brayan Bello's strikeout prop on Friday. The 24-year-old has tallied at least 5 strikeouts in 10 of his 14 starts this season and now faces a lineup full of hitters that have never seen his pitch arsenal before. The Cubs also average the sixth-most strikeouts per game at the plate (9.17), so some swings & misses should be expected.