Boston Red Sox vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 7/15/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Saturday, July 15, 2023

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (+115) Chicago (-135)

The Chicago Cubs (42-47) will take on the Boston Red Sox (48-43) at Wrigley Field on Saturday. The moneyline on this game has Boston at +115 and Chicago is at -135. The total comes in at 8. The starting pitchers are James Paxton and Drew Smyly.

Boston is slugging .427 and have been called out on strikes 743 times, while taking a walk on 290 occasions. They have recorded 432 RBI's as well as 822 hits this season, while their team batting average sits at .263. The Red Sox have tallied 206 doubles as a unit and have knocked 94 baseballs out of the stadium. They are sitting with 451 runs and hold an OBP of .332. As a unit, the Boston Red Sox are earning 5.0 runs per contest, which puts them at 7th in baseball.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.95 and their pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.30. Red Sox pitchers have surrendered 117 home runs in addition to 424 runs (20th in baseball). Boston has surrendered 785 base hits (8.8 per 9 innings) in addition to 387 earned runs. The Red Sox have compiled a team earned run average of 4.33 on the season (17th in MLB), and their staff has struck out 768 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 260 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 4.38 as a team for the year.

The Red Sox have sent 274 relief pitchers to the mound for the season. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 90 base runners so far this year with 31.1% of them ended up scoring. They have recorded 26 saves this year and have not converted 8 of their 34 chances to save the game. The Red Sox relievers have compiled a save rate of 76.5% and has stepped onto the mound in 72 save situations. The bullpen have notched 38 holds for the season (26th in baseball). Red Sox pitchers have entered the contest with players on base 59 times and also have had 78 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Red Sox have turned 68.5% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 7,245 innings on the diamond, which ranks them 19th in baseball. The Boston Red Sox have accumulated 2,415 putouts for the season, in addition to 810 assists and 61 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .981 which ranks 29th in MLB, and have accumulated 76 double plays.

Paxton has taken the mound for 810 innings and has earned 895 strikeouts in his pro baseball career. Paxton (62-34 mark in his career) sits with a FIP of 3.33 and he has faced 3,350 opposing hitters during his time in the majors. His earned run average is 3.53 (318 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.197. He has allowed 725 hits (8.0 hits per nine innings) and has had 245 walks.

The Chicago Cubs are sitting with an on-base percentage of .325 and a batting average of .246 for the season. They have struck out on 816 occasions (8th in baseball) and have recorded 742 base knocks. Chicago has hit 96 HRs on the season as well as 396 runs batted in. The Cubs have a team slugging % of .396 and they have an average of 4.61 runs per game (11th in the league). They have put up 133 two-baggers, while walking 320 times as well as scoring 410 runs.

The Cubs are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.261 with a FIP of 4.08 as a unit this year. They rank 5th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 711. The Chicago pitching staff have given up 384 runs this year and come in with a team ERA of 4.00 (349 earned runs surrendered). Their K/BB ratio is 8.30 (725 strikeouts vs 280 free passes). They have relinquished 88 HR's and they allow 4.40 runs per 9 innings (13th in MLB).

Chicago has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the game in 21 save chances and they have walked away with 13 saves. They are currently ranked 17th in baseball with a save rate of 61.9%, and they have sent 270 bullpen pitchers onto the field so far this season. Their relief pitchers have come in 67 times in high leverage situations and also on 69 occasions with runners on base. Chicago bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 31.6% out of 114 inherited base runners. With 60 save situations, the Cubs have compiled 38 holds in addition to 8 blown saves.

In their 7,074 innings played, the Cubs hold a efficiency on defense of 70.0% (9th in pro baseball). The Chicago Cubs have gotten 80 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .985 (19th in pro baseball). The Cubs have accrued 804 assists, 47 errors and have amassed 2,358 putouts during this campaign.

In his career, Smyly has allowed 997 base hits while totaling 1,001 strikeouts in 1,037 frames. Smyly (60-53 career win-loss mark) has a 4.12 earned run average while allowing 8.6 hits per 9 innings. He has given up a total of 475 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.275 and having a FIP of 4.3. His K/BB ratio is 3.07 and he has gone up against 4,373 hitters so far in his pro baseball career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Boston (+115)

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