Chicago Cubs at Boston Red Sox Free Picks for April 28th

Chicago Cubs vs. Boston Red Sox
Date: Sunday, April 28th, 7:10 ET
Location: Fenway Park
TV: ESPN
Money Line: Cubs +106/Red Sox -127
Total Line: 8.5

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the Boston Red Sox and the Cubs on Sunday, April 28th at Fenway Park. We provide you with a comprehensive analysis, odds, and predictions to help with your handicapping decision or tail our expert based on the projected lineups and listed starting pitchers.

Betting Odds

Chicago comes into this interleague matchup with the Red Sox looking for a win on the road, as the Cubs and Boston are set to square off at 7:10 PM ET at Fenway Park in Boston. The Red Sox are the favorite on the money line at -127, and the over/under line is at 8.5 runs.

Hayden Wesneski is starting for the Cubs, and he is facing off against Tanner Houck for the Red Sox. You can catch this one on ESPN.

Cubs vs. Red Sox Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Chicago Cubs: 17-10 SU / OU 13-14 / Runline 19-8
Boston Red Sox: 15-13 SU / OU 13-13 / Runline 16-12

Boston cruised to a 17-0 win over the Cubs in the most recent game of this series. The Red Sox had a huge 5th inning, scoring six of their seventeen runs. As for the Cubs, they only had five hits and didn’t score a run until the 7th inning.

Josh Winckowski only went three innings for the Red Sox but didn’t give up a run and got the win. He finished the game with just one strikeout and allowed three hits. On the other side, Ben Brown got the start for the Cubs and took the loss, going just 3 2/3 innings.

Ceddanne Rafaela had a monster game for the Red Sox, going 4/4 with a home run and seven RBIs. Both Tyler O’Neill and Masataka Yoshida each drove in three for Boston’s offense.

Cubs Records & Recent Play

Chicago is 17-10 overall this season and is 2nd in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by just a half-game. The Cubs are playing on the road today vs. the Red Sox, and they have yet to play a game vs. other NL Central teams this year.

The Cubs have been good at home this year, putting together a 10-3 record. They are just above .500 at 7-7 on the road. Chicago closed out their series vs. the Astros with a win and then took the first game of this series vs. the Red Sox. So far, they are 5-2-1 in series this year.

When it comes to betting the run line, the Cubs have been a solid choice this season, going 19-8 overall. They have been even better on the road, where they are 10-4. They have been a good bet as the underdog, going 13-4, and have covered the run line in seven straight games when getting the runs.

The Chicago Cubs have played in 27 games this season, and their over/under record is 13-14. The average over/under line in their games is 8 runs, and their combined run average is 9.8 runs per game. The over/under line for today’s game against the Boston Red Sox is 8.5 runs. In their last 10 games, the Cubs have had over/under lines of 8.5 runs or higher in 7 of them, and the over has hit in 4 of those games. Their over/under streak is 2 games, and the over has hit in both of those games.

Red Sox Records & Recent Play

Boston is hosting the Cubs today with an overall record of 15-13, and they are three games behind the Orioles in the AL East. The Red Sox have yet to win a game against an AL East opponent this year, going 0-3 so far. Boston took the first game of this series vs. the Cubs after dropping their final game vs. the Guardians.

At home, the Red Sox are just 4-8 this year, but they have been good on the road at 11-5. So far, they are 7-4 as the favorite and 8-9 as the underdog. Boston’s overall series record is 4-3-1 this year.

When betting on the Red Sox, it’s important to consider their run line record, which stands at 16-12. They have been a much better bet on the run line on the road, where they are 12-4 compared to 4-8 at home. They have been a better bet on the run line as the underdog, going 12-5 compared to 4-7 as the favorite. Their average run margin in winning games is 5.1, while it drops to -3.4 in losing games.

Today’s over/under line of 8.5 runs is the highest of the season for the Red Sox, who have played in just six games with higher lines this season. Their over/under record for the season is 13-13, and they have hit the over in seven of the nine games with lines set at 8.5 runs or higher. The Red Sox have hit the over in three straight games, and their games have averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.

Pitching Matchup

Hayden Wesneski will be making his first start of the season for the Cubs, and it will come on the road against the Red Sox. Wesneski has been used out of the bullpen in his first two appearances, and he has been effective, picking up wins in both outings. In his first appearance, he went 2 1/3 innings and struck out one, and in his second outing, he went 4 innings and struck out two.

After a complete game shutout in his first home start of the season, Tanner Houck is back on the mound for the Red Sox. He has a 1-1 record on the year, with his most recent outing being a loss to the Guardians in which he went 6 innings and gave up 2 runs.

Cubs vs. Red Sox Offense Outlook

The Cubs come into the game with the league’s 6th best scoring offense, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.8 runs per game. Overall, they are one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams and are batting a collective .247, which is the 10th best mark in the league.

Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger have been the team’s top power threats this season, with Busch’s six homers being the 5th best mark in the league, and Bellinger’s five homers is the 6th best mark in the league. Busch also comes into the game with the 10th most RBIs in the league, at 17. Over his last five games, Mike Tauchman has gone 5/14 with two homers, and Nico Hoerner is batting .261 in this stretch.

Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox are 2nd in home runs and are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. Boston has been a good road hitting team this season, averaging 5.1 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .246 and have the league’s 3rd best isolated power mark at .170.

Tyler O’Neill comes into the game on a six-game hitting streak and is batting .333 for the season with a team-high nine home runs. O’Neill has also gone deep twice in his past four games. Ceddanne Rafaela is just batting .191 for the season, but he has two homers in his last eight games and is also on a six-game hitting streak. Over his last seven games, Wilyer Abreu is 14/30 at the plate with two homers and eight RBIs.

Free Cubs vs. Red Sox MLB Pick

We really like the Cubs on the money line in this one, as they are giving a payout of +106. We actually have the Cubs winning this one by a score of 5-4. If you’re looking for a parlay, you could also take the over, as the line is set at 8.5 runs.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Tanner Houck finishing with six strikeouts, which is the third-best among starters today. However, we have him finishing with the 20th-best ERA among starters, so we would stay away from him on a strikeout prop.