Cubs Can Sweep Short Series Against Sox

Cubs vs. White Sox, 8:10 ET

I went 1-1 again yesterday as these .500 days continue to pile up. I suppose that isn't a bad thing considering we aren't going 0-2 often, and have and more 2-0 days than 0-2, but still, it would be nice to get a few 2-0 days in a row and build up a bankroll as we head into the college and professional football seasons in just a few weeks. Tonight, I'm going back to the well for a play in Game 2 between the Cubs and White Sox.

Yesterday's game was really all Cubs. They dominated the game in just about every way conceivable considering that they won 7-3. They did it in a bit of an unlikely method as they launched four home runs as a team, including two from their new leader, Dansby Swanson. Swanson has had a great initial season for the Cubs and reportedly is pushing for the leadership to not sell on the team. He's putting his bat where his mouth is with 3-for-3 nights. Aside from him, Nico Horner went 3-5, and Christopher Morel also had two hits, including a back-to-back home run with Swanson. The Cubs pitching was stellar too with starter Kyle Hendricks posting a quality start. It wasn't that the Sox were terrible, they mustered three runs off of the Cubs squad. The homers did do the team in though. Michael Kopech went five innings and allowed four earned runs (five total) to the Cubs. As usual, though, the White Sox were an unproductive team. Their hitters only got five hits and that included Eloy Jimenez as the only one on the team with two hits.

Lance Lynn has really struggled this season, and the Cubs can capitalize tonight against the White Sox. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Tonight's matchup features the premier arm on the trade rumor circuit (if you don't count the rumors of that two-way stud in Los Angeles), Marcus Stroman. Stroman has been dominant this year for the Cubs, but he has had a very ugly July. In four July starts, he has allowed 15 earned runs over 20.1 innings. The Cubs have lost three of his four starts. It was around the second half of the season last year where he fell into his groove - he was very bad at Wrigley the first half of last season. Is he falling apart, or are the trade rumors getting to him? I would tend to think the latter as he has stated he wants to remain a Cub. White Sox hitters are just 17-for-69 against him, which is respectable. Andrew Benintendi is one guy you can expect to probably have a good night. To combat Stroman, Lance Lynn takes the ball. After a few years of really excellent pitching, Lynn has dropped quite a bit this season, and even last year. He had a beautiful start against Toronto a few starts ago, but his last two saw him allow 10 earned runs over 12 innings. He carries a 6.18 ERA coming into this game and there is very little difference between his home and away ERAs. He just hasn't been very good. When he is good, it seems like he is great, and when he is bad, he is terrible.

This is another game the Cubs should steal away from their crosstown foes. I think the logical conclusion here is to play the Cubs to win the game at -120. I'm even going to double down on this one (and maybe my confidence in Stroman will backfire) and play the first five as well with the Cubs -120. If you're on DraftKings, just bet Cubs/Cubs under game props for 1st five and full game at +150 instead of both at -120. (I plan to do the +150 and another unit on Cubs full game at -120.)

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