White Sox vs. Cubs MLB Odds, Preview and Pick (Archive)
Both the White Sox and Cubs are off to poor starts to the 2022 campaign, and they meet on Chicago’s North Side as part of a full MLB betting card for Tuesday.
Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs
Tuesday, May 03, 2022 – 07:40 PM EDT at Wrigley Field
Carl Sandburg once described Chicago as, “Hog Butcher for the World, Toolmaker, Stacker of Wheat…City of Big Shoulders.”
That word was written more than 100 years ago, and if the Pulitzer Prize-winning author penned his poem today, he might include something about Chicago being home to two struggling baseball teams.
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We certainly didn’t expect them to reach their first interleague series of 2022 with matching 9-13 records.
Coming off a 93-win season and first AL Central title since 2008, the White Sox have dropped 11 of their last 14 and are down nearly 7 units for anyone following them on the MLB odds. The Cubs have lost nine of 14 entering this 2-game set.
Kopech Set for First Career Start vs. Cubs
Having the pitching honors for the series opener are Michael Kopech (0-0, 1.42) of the White Sox and Drew Smyly (1-2, 2.79) of the Cubs.
The visitors from the South Side are favored on a -141 moneyline at GTbets with the total still to be released.
These next two days in Wrigleyville are technically the start of a quick 5-game road trip for the White Sox.
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Tony La Russa will take his team east to Fenway for a clash with the Red Sox this weekend, and while it’s still very early, Chicago’s AL entry could use a strong week to turn around the lackluster beginning to 2022.
It’s a combination of very little support from his lineup and the babying of starting pitchers today that still has Kopech winless despite a 1.42 ERA in four starts.
Chicago bats plated 10 runs in his debut, but Kopech was limited to 69 pitches and didn’t factor in the decision.
Kopech did stretch things out to 94 tosses last week against Kansas City, but his control was off and he only got in five innings.
Used primarily from the bullpen last season, all three of his appearances against the Cubs came in relief.
Kopech worked a combined 2.2 innings while allowing no runs on two hits with three strikeouts.
Long Ball Has Hurt Smyly in Last Two Starts
By winning just one game in each of their last four series, the best thing to say about the Cubs is they have at least avoided being swept.
Tuesday’s tilt marks the seventh consecutive game the loveable North Siders have been the underdogs at online betting sites, and the pitching staff has surrendered an NL-high 28 round-trippers.
Smyly was part of our free MLB picks lineup last week when the Cubs were traveling through Atlanta, and the Arkansas southpaw suffered his second consecutive loss in a 5-1 setback to the Braves.
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He didn’t pitch all that poorly with two runs allowed before exiting two outs into the fifth, but both plate crossings came on home runs, Smyly’s second-straight assignment to serve up a pair of bleacher bombs.
This will be Smyly’s first look at the White Sox since 2019, and he doesn’t exactly have a very good track record against them.
In six career starts and two relief outings, Smyly is 0-2 with a 6.25 ERA (31.2 IP), and Jose Abreu has feasted on his offerings (6-11, HR).
‘Over’ Has Trended in Recent Years at Wrigley
‘Over’ Has Trended in Recent Years at Wrigley Though the White Sox won five of the six meetings in 2021, this has otherwise been a competitive interleague rivalry with Chicago’s South Side entry 70-64 in the regular-season matchups.
White Sox fans will also remind you their guys took four of six in the All-Windy City World Series way back in 1906.
The White Sox swept three from the Cubs at Wrigley last season, two of those final MLB scores going ‘over’ the totals.
Going back to the start of the 2018 season, ‘over’ bettors have returned to the pay window in seven of the last 11 matchups on the Cubs’ diamond.
Unless Mother Nature changes her ways, the total might eventually be set at zero, as in a rainout. If the precip does let up, it’s going to be in the mid-40s at game time with a 20-25 mph blowout of the north (in from left).
The two sides share a day off on Thursday, so maybe that’s the safest bet for when this one gets played. Give me the White Sox on Tuesday if the rain lets up.
MLB Pick: White Sox (-141) with GTbets (visit our GTbets Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.