Chicago White Sox (14-30) vs. Chicago Cubs (25-19)
Game Details: Friday May 16, 2025 @ 2:20 pm EST
Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois
S. Smith (R) vs. C. Horton (R)
Where to Watch: MLB.TV
The Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs renew the Crosstown Classic in 2025. This is a matchup of teams in two very different spots. The Cubs sit atop the NL Central, looking to get back to the postseason. The White Sox are living in the basement of the AL Central and the league as a whole. Still, the White Sox have some solid young players and cannot be overlooked. Who will take the first game in 2025 in this storied rivalry?
Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total Runs | Money Line |
 | +1.5 (-108) | Over 11.5 (-110) | +190 |
| -1.5 (-112) | Under 11.5 (-110) | -230 |
Apex Tale of The Tape
| Team Stats |
|
| 3.44 | Runs/G | 5.55 |
| .216 | BA | .250 |
| .292 | OBP | .327 |
| .328 | SLG | .436 |
| .620 | OPS | .763 |
| 32 | HR | 63 |
| 34 | SB | 50 |
| 3.96 | ERA | 4.02 |
| 1.36 | WHIP | 1.30 |
| 7.49 | K/9 | 8.11 |
| .980 | Fielding Percentage | .985 |
| 3 | Saves | 10 |
Projected Starting Pitchers H2H
| Shane Smith | Player Stats | Cade Horton |
| 1-2 | W/L | 1-0 |
| 2.08 | ERA | 6.75 |
| 43.1 | IP | 4.0 |
| 1.08 | WHIP | 1.00 |
| 38 | K | 5 |
| 15 | BB | 0 |
Key Stats
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox have been led by some unlikely players in the past week. Over the past seven games, Lenyn Sosa is hitting .381 with two doubles and a home run. Right fielder Joshua Palacios is hitting .333 over the past week in nine at-bats. Young star Luis Robert is struggling at the plate. Over the past seven games, he is only slashing .133/.133/.321. If the White Sox have any hope of winning games, they need him to come alive.
Right-hander Shane Smith takes the mound for the White Sox to open the series. He has been a solid starter this year for the team. In his past five starts, he hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs, and in four out of five starts, he has gone at least five innings. In his last start against the Miami Marlins, he threw six shutout innings, only giving up four hits and striking out seven.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are on a bit of a losing streak thanks to hitting slumps from key players. Over the past seven games, Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki have hit .227 and .167, respectively. Suzuki has struck out in almost a third of his at-bats over the past week. Shortstop Dansby Swanson has been carrying the offense as of late. Over the past seven games, he has hit .316 with two home runs and four RBIs.
The Cubs are sending out one of their recent call-ups in right-hander Cade Horton. He was called up from Triple-A last Saturday and pitched in relief against the Mets. He picked up the win despite surrendering three earned runs in his relief appearance. Manager Craig Counsel has stated that Horton will continue to occupy a starting spot until Shota Imanaga is back from his hamstring injury.
Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs Betting Trends
| Betting Stats |
|
| 4-6 | W/L 10 | 4-6 |
| 24-20 | ATS | 22-22 |
| 19-22-3 | O/U | 24-16-4 |
Prediction
The obvious pick seems to be the Chicago Cubs. However, I have some issues writing down a moneyline victory in pen. I understand there is a huge difference between the New York Mets lineup and the White Sox lineup, but Horton gave up plenty of runs in his last outing. The south-siders aren’t great, but their lineup has some power in it. Furthermore, the Cubs’ offense hasn’t looked good over the past ten games, and Smith has shown some consistency this season. Give me the White Sox moneyline for the plus odds.
