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The two Chicago baseball teams haven’t both been good in a season in many years, but they are in 2020 and meet in a very intriguing series this weekend on the North Side. The Cubs will be MLB betting favorites for Saturday’s game behind Kyle Hendricks.

White Sox vs Cubs: Chicago’s Crosstown Classic

How to Bet White Sox at Cubs MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Saturday, 8:15 PM ET
Where: Wrigley Field
Probable pitchers (away/home): Reynaldo Lopez or TBA/Kyle Hendricks
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
Opening MLB Lines: TBA

Why Bet on White Sox?

Monitor the status of White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal, who has been a disappointment as a big-ticket free-agent singing. Grandal made an early exit from Monday’s game against the Tigers after experiencing some back tightness and hasn’t played since. James McCann has been catching.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria said he’s hoping to get rookie sensation Luis Robert back in the lineup Friday. Robert has been sidelined since landing awkwardly on his right hand following a diving attempt in the outfield on Tuesday night. X-rays came back negative. The 23-year-old has posted an .847 OPS with five home runs, 13 RBI, four stolen bases, and 13 runs scored over 24 games this season.

On Thursday, the Sox ox optioned right-handed pitcher Dane Dunning to the Schaumburg training facility and recalled outfielder Nicky Delmonico. Delmonico, 28, has played in six games this season, going 3-15 (.200) with three RBI. Dunning, a top prospect, made his MLB debut on Wednesday vs. the Tigers. White Sox pitchers own a 3.00 ERA over the last 21 games (12.64 over first five).

Dunning became the ninth White Sox to make his major-league debut in 2020, joining Zack Burdi, Matt Foster, Luis Gonzalez, Codi Heuer, Jimmy Lambert, Nick Madrigal, Yermín Mercedes and Robert.

Also this week, Sox DH Edwin Encarnacion collected his 37th career multihomer game, the third-most among active players behind Albert Pujols (59) and Miguel Cabrera (40).

The White Sox haven’t announced a starter for this game but it could well be Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 54.00) who would be activated from the injured list. He has been out for over three weeks with shoulder inflammation.

Lopez has only recorded two outs this season, pulled with a shoulder injury before the end of his first inning of work in his 2020 debut against the Minnesota Twins on the season’s opening weekend. The next day, he went on the injured list, and he’s been there ever since.

“Reynaldo, he’s throwing (at the team’s alternate training site) in Schaumburg, he’s on his throwing program. He’s competing in the games that we are staging out there, and he continues to progress,” Sox GM Rick Hahn said earlier this week. “As I said initially with him, we were optimistic that he would return by the end of the month, and (we) continue to feel that way.”

Why Bet on Cubs?

The Cubs enter the weekend having taken three of five vs. the Cardinals earlier this week with two doubleheaders mixed in. Cubs manager David Ross would not commit to Craig Kimbrel being his closer again after he earned the save in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader versus the Cardinals.

Kimbrel looked dominant in the outing in fanning three batters and letting just one on the bases on a hit by pitch. He’s now put together three straight nice showings, striking out seven of the 11 batters he’s faced. The first four fastballs Kimbrel threw topped 98 mph. He was closer to 97 mph as the inning progressed, but it was still his best velocity of 2020. Both Rowan Wick and Jeremy Jeffress have been excellent and could still be in the mix for saves.

“We’re going to try to match everybody up as best we can,” Ross said. “But I have no hesitation going to Craig.”

Javier Baez went hitless in both games of the doubleheader Wednesday against the Cardinals. Baez finished 0-for-6, lowering his season average to .189 in 97 plate appearances. He’s struck out 34 times. Ian Happ went 2-for-6 with a walk. a triple and a solo home run across both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader. He’s now up to six long balls this season to go along with a strong 1.109 OPS, and the Cubs have inserted him into the leadoff spot recently with Kris Bryant (wrist) out of the lineup.

It’s scheduled to be Kyle Hendricks (3-2, 32.2) on the mound. Hendricks took a loss Monday versus the Cardinals after being charged with three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings of work. Two of those runs crossed the plate after Hendricks was removed in the top of the seventh with a pitch count of 96. He was mostly effective throughout the evening, scattering three hits and one walk while striking out five.

Hendricks is 34-19 with a 2.58 ERA in 84 career games at Wrigley Field.

Expert Prediction Cubs 6, White Sox 3