Thursday, July 28, 2016

Wrigley Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Chris Sale vs. John Lackey

The Chicago White Sox visit Wrigley Field on Thursday to play the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are Chris Sale for the White Sox and John Lackey for the Cubs. The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at -122 and Chicago at +112. The over/under was set at 8. The White Sox have a 43-51-6 over/under record and a 47-53-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 47% of the time. The Cubs are 50-49-0 against the run line and have a 47-47-5 over/under record. They cover the spread 51% of the time.

The White Sox head into this matchup with a 50-50 record, including 22-26 on the road. Starting pitcher Chris Sale has a 14-3 record with an earned run average of 3.18 and a WHIP of 1.01. He has 129 strikeouts over his 133 innings pitched and he has given up 105 hits so far this season. He has allowed 7.1 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.7. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.64 and they have given up 285 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .252 against the bullpen while being struck out 277 times and walking 142 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 8.81 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.85 batters per nine. They are 12th in the league in team earned run average at 3.98. The White Sox pitchers have collectively given up 875 base hits and 395 earned runs. They have allowed 111 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 341 batters and struck out 779. They walk 3.4 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.36 and their FIP as a unit is 4.26.

As a team, Chicago is batting .251, good for 18th in the league while putting together a .247 average away from home. The White Sox hold a .398 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .316 which is good for 21st in baseball. They rank 19th in baseball with 8.48 hits per game. Melky Cabrera comes into this game hitting .302 and his on-base percentage is at .349. He has 106 hits this season along with 44 runs scored and 44 runs batted in. He's struck out 41 times and has walked 27 times. Adam Eaton is hitting .278 and he has an on-base percentage of .363. He has totaled 108 hits so far while scoring 49 runs and he's driven in 36. He has walked 41 times and has struck out 74 times. The White Sox have 847 hits, including 161 doubles and 99 home runs. They've stolen 48 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 23 times. Chicago has walked 293 times this season and they've struck out 807 times as a unit. They've left 689 men on base and have a team OPS of .713. They score 4.06 runs per contest and have scored a total of 406 runs so far this year.

Chicago comes into this matchup with a 30-16 home record and a 59-40 overall mark. With an earned run average of 3.79, John Lackey has a 7-7 record and a 1.10 WHIP. He has 133 strikeouts over the 130.2 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 104 hits. He has allowed 7.2 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.87. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.70 and they have given up 221 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .209 against the Cubs bullpen while being struck out 293 times and walking 123 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 7.04 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.88 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 3.27. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 698 base knocks and 327 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 102 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 309 hitters and struck out 877. They give up a walk 3.1 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.13 while their FIP as a staff is 3.84.

As a team, they are batting .254, good for 15th in the league while putting together a .241 average at home. The Cubs hold a .428 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .345 which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 15th in baseball with 8.64 hits per contest. Kris Bryant comes into this matchup batting .283 and he has an OBP of .376. He has 106 hits this year along with 79 runs scored and 65 RBI. He's struck out 101 times and has walked on 46 occasions. Anthony Rizzo is hitting .287 and he has an OBP of .395. He has collected 101 hits so far while he's scored 59 runs and drove in 76. He has earned a walk 52 times and has punched out 68 times. The Cubs as a unit have 855 base hits, including 181 doubles and 125 homers. They have 42 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 23 times. Chicago as a team has walked 413 times this year and they have struck out 844 times. They've had 746 men left on base and have an OPS of .773. They score 5.03 runs per game and have totaled 498 runs so far this season.

Chicago White Sox Betting Trends

The Chicago White Sox are 43-51-6 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago White Sox are 47-53-0 against the run line so far this season

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 47-47-5 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 50-49-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago White Sox

07/27/16 2B Brett Lawrie Hamstring out indefinitely
07/25/16 P Chris Sale Suspension expected to start Thursday against Chicago Cubs
07/09/16 P Carlos Rodon Wrist 15-day DL (7/6)
07/05/16 C Alex Avila Hamstring 15-day DL (7/6)
07/01/16 3B Matt Davidson Foot 60-day DL (6/30)
06/21/16 P Zach Putnam Elbow 15-day DL (6/21)
06/10/16 CF Austin Jackson Knee 15-day DL (6/10)
05/06/16 P Jacob Petricka Hip 60-day DL (5/2)
04/27/16 C Kevan Smith Pelvis 15-day DL (4/24)

Chicago Cubs

07/16/16 P Trevor Cahill Knee 15-day DL (7/9)
07/03/16 2B Chris Coghlan Ribs 15-day DL (7/3)
06/07/16 LF Jorge Soler Hamstring 15-day DL (6/6)
04/08/16 C Kyle Schwarber Knee 60-day DL (4/8); out for season
04/04/16 P Aaron Brooks Hip 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 3B Christian Villanueva Fibula 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Dallas Beeler Shoulder 15-day DL (3/25)
03/31/16 P Zac Rosscup Shoulder 60-day DL (2/25)

Tony's Pick: Take the White Sox

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