Rangers vs. Cubs Prediction: Eovaldi vs. Steele (April 7)

Texas Rangers vs. Chicago Cubs
Date: Monday, April 7th, 7:40 ET
Location: Wrigley Field
TV: None
Money Line: Rangers +110/Cubs -129
Total Line: 6

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the Chicago Cubs and the Rangers on Monday, April 7th at Wrigley Field. 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

The forecast for Monday’s Rangers vs. Cubs interleague matchup calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-30s. The first pitch from Wrigley Field is set for 7:40 PM ET. The moneyline odds have the Cubs at -129, while the Rangers are the slight underdog at +110. The over/under line is currently at six runs.

Texas comes in with a record of 8-2, while the Cubs are 7-5 overall. Justin Steele is set to start for the Cubs, and he is facing off against Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers. Eovaldi has the Rangers’ best odds to win the World Series at +900.

Rangers vs. Cubs Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Texas Rangers: 8-2 SU / OU 2-8 / Runline 8-2
Chicago Cubs: 7-5 SU / OU 8-3 / Runline 7-5

Rangers Records & Recent Play

The Rangers’ offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Rays, closing out their series with a 4-3 win. After allowing one run to the Rays in the top of the 4th, the Rangers responded with a run of their own. Texas went on to add another run in the 6th inning and closed things out with Jacob Webb picking up the save in the 9th.

Starting for the Rangers was Kumar Rocker, who picked up the win while tossing five innings of one-run ball. He also only issued one walk and struck out just one Rays batter. Corey Seager went 1/4 with a homer, and Josh Smith was hot at the plate, going 3/4 with a run scored.

Cubs Records & Recent Play

The Cubs will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Padres with an 8-7 loss. Chicago was the -138 favorite at home going into the game but fell behind early, as the Padres scored three times in the first.

Chicago’s offense scored seven runs on only six hits thanks to a big 3rd inning. The Cubs scored five runs in the 3rd to take the lead but couldn’t hold on, as the Padres scored a run in the 9th to pick up the win. Kyle Tucker was hot at the plate, going 2/4 with a homer and three RBIs.

Chicago is 7-5 overall this season, good for 1st place in the NL Central. They hold a one-game lead over the Brewers heading into today’s game vs. the Rangers. The Cubs will be hosting the Rangers today, and they are 5-2 on the road compared to just 2-3 at home.

The Cubs have yet to play a game against another NL Central team this year. As the underdog, the Cubs have gone 7-5 this year, and they have yet to lose a series this year, putting together a record of 2-1-1. Their two series wins have come in a row, as they took two of three from the Padres in their most recent series.

Pitching Matchup

Nathan Eovaldi is on the mound for the Rangers as they take on the Cubs. Eovaldi has been great in both of his starts so far this season, as he went six innings and struck out 9 in his first start and then threw a complete game shutout in his last outing.

Justin Steele is making his third start of the season for the Cubs and will be facing the Rangers. He has a win in each of his first two starts, going five innings in his first start and 6 2/3 in his last outing. Steele has given up 3 earned runs in each of his first two starts and has 8 strikeouts on the year.

Rangers vs. Cubs Offense Outlook

So far this season, the Rangers are one of the worst offensive teams in the league, averaging just 3.3 runs per game, which is 26th in the league. They have been even worse on the road, averaging just 1.7 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .192, which is the worst mark in the league. Texas does have the 7th most home runs in the league but is near the bottom of the league in most other offensive categories.

Wyatt Langford and Jake Burger are the team’s top two home run hitters, but both players are batting under .240 for the season. Burger is hitting just .114, and Langford is at .235. Corey Seager and Marcus Semien have both gone deep in their last three games, but Seager is just 2/11 in that stretch, and Semien is also hitting just .182.

As a team, the Cubs are averaging 6.4 runs per game, which is 3rd in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging eight runs per game. Chicago has been good at drawing walks this season and is the league’s top home run-hitting team. Collectively, they are batting .246, which is 10th in the league.

Kyle Tucker has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his five home runs are the best mark on the team and 2nd in the league. He is also batting .319 for the season and has driven in 15 runs. Over his last three games, Tucker has gone 3/10 with a homer and four RBIs. Nico Hoerner has also been swinging the bat well, going 5/12 in his last three games.

Free Rangers vs. Cubs MLB Pick

With Justin Steele on the mound, I really like the Cubs in this spot today, as runs should be hard to come by in what figured to be a cold night for baseball in Chicago. I’m taking the Cubs on the money line.