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The Chicago White Sox will try to maintain their strong start to the second half of the season when they face the Chicago Cubs in a rivalry game on Friday night. The White Sox have won five of their last six games, including an 11-9 win at Tampa Bay on Wednesday. They are sending starting pitcher Adrian Houser (5-2, 1.89 ERA) to the mound for this game, while the Cubs will have Shota Imanaga (7-3, 2.40) on the bump. The Cubs swept the first series between these teams this season in May, outscoring the White Sox 26-8 during that three-game set.
First pitch from Rate Field in Chicago is set for 7:40 p.m. ET. The Cubs are -182 favorites on the money line (risk $182 to win $100) in the latest Cubs vs. White Sox odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the White Sox are +151 underdogs. The total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 8. Before making any White Sox vs. Cubs picks, be sure to see the MLB betting predictions from SportsLine’s proven model. Bet on Cubs vs. White Sox and every other MLB game at DraftKings in Illinois, where you can get $150 in bonus bets instantly with the latest DraftKings promo code:
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Here are the model’s three best bets for White Sox vs. Cubs on Friday:
Colson Montgomery Over 0.5 total bases (-110)
The White Sox rookie shortstop has been one of the bright spots for the team this season, batting .275 through the first 16 games of his career. He went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and five RBI in an 11-9 win against Tampa Bay on Wednesday. Montgomery is 7-for-23 with two home runs through six games after the All-Star break, and the model has him recording 1.1 total bases on Friday.
Adrian Houser Over 2.5 earned runs allowed (-125)
Houser has a dazzling 1.89 ERA this season, but he is coming off his worst outing of the campaign. He allowed four runs (three earned) on 10 hits and one walk against the Pirates, generating just four swinging strikes. It snapped a streak of four quality starts. The model has that poor performance carrying over to this start, as Houser is allowing 3.4 earned runs in the latest simulations.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Over 0.5 runs (+105)
The Cubs rank second in the majors in runs scored this season (537), and Crow-Armstrong has been at the forefront of their success. He has scored 69 runs to go along with 27 home runs and 74 RBI. The 23-year-old ranks fifth in the majors with 28 stolen bases, and his ability to advance on the base paths puts him in scoring positions on almost a nightly basis. Crow-Armstrong is 7-for-20 with two homers in his five games since the All-Star break, which is one reason why the model has him scoring 0.8 runs to provide value on this prop.
Want more MLB picks for Friday?
You’ve seen the model’s MLB picks for Cubs vs. White Sox on Friday. Now, get more MLB picks from No. 1 expert Bruce Marshall, who is up more than 16 units on his last 114 MLB picks.