Chicago Cubs betting odds of second game versus the White Sox

After a 3-1 Loss at Wrigley Field, The Chicago Cubs look to bounce back against their crosstown rivals. What do gambling trends suggest the smart bet is for game two?

The Crosstown Classic kicked off in disappointing fashion for the Chicago Cubs. Cole Hamels looked great, AGAIN and the bullpen gave away another close game. Eloy Jimenez took Pedro Strop deep to give the White Sox a 3-1 lead late Tuesday night.

Looking on to game two, this is a pitchers dream matchup. Two pitchers, Jon Lester and Lucas Giolito who are on top of their game. Lester has thrown the ball very well this year with two rough games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros (quite good offenses). Even with those two outliers where he recorded seven and six earned runs, he maintains a 4.08 ERA. He has allowed 10 earned runs at home over seven starts this season.

Giolito will take the bump for the Sox and enters as a top three pitcher in the league, Leading all pitchers in wins (10), win percentage (.909), and Complete games (2). He is top ten in WAR, ERA, H/9 and WHIP.  Giolito is performing as one of the best, if not the best arm in the American League.

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Because of the crosstown rivalry between the Cubs and the White Sox, it makes gambling on this game all the more fun. It has the feeling of September “Crunch time” baseball in the middle of June because these teams want to win the series for bragging rights. Because of this, I expect Lester and Giolito to bring their A game, which leads me into betting the under at 7.5.

According to Oddshark, the total has gone under in eight of the Cubs last 12 games and four of their previous five games. Something very important to look at when gambling on baseball is the weather, especially summertime in Chicago. The air is thick today with humidity and chances of rain, which hurts the chances of balls leaving the park. The wind is also blowing in from left-center at 12 MPH, making it harder to produce runs and hit homers.

Another great way to get involved in baseball gambling is prop bets. For series that get more attention, the more prop bets there are. And with Schwarber hitting leadoff, there is no better time to take the Cubs to score first. The odds are +100, which is an excellent value for a team with as much home run power as the cubs do.

The way Lester and Giolito have been pitching and the weather favoring the pitchers, the under at 7.5 runs scored is my lock for the second game in the Crosstown Classic.