Rays vs. Cubs MLB Lines & Pick for Tuesday Night

Good pitching matchup from the north side of Chicago on Tuesday as AL Cy Young favorite Shane McClanahan and the MLB-best Rays visit Kyle Hendricks and the Chicago Cubs with Tampa Bay a solid favorite on the MLB odds.

Rays vs. Cubs | MLB Expert Analysis

How to Bet Tampa Bay at Chicago MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Tuesday, 8:05 PM ET
Where: Wrigley Field
Probable pitchers (away/home): Shane McClanahan/Kyle Hendricks
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
Opening MLB Lines: Rays -195, Cubs +175 (total TBA)

Why Bet on Tampa Bay?

Wander Franco (1-for-4) broke up Marcus Stroman’s no-hit bid with a single in the seventh inning Monday. He extended his hitting streak to six games and is batting .478 (11-for-23) during the run. © Yandy Diaz (0-for-4) had his 22-game on-base streak snapped. He batted .359 (28-for-78) with 15 RBI during the run.

The Rays lost their second 1-0 game of 2023, with their other coming on April 26 vs. Houston. Tampa Bay was last one-hit on Sept. 19, 2017 vs. the Cubs. The Rays fell to 6-6 all-time at Wrigley Field. Tampa Bay fell to 13-6 in interleague play in 2023.

It’s lefty Shane McClanahan on the mound here. McClanahan (8-0) earned the win last Wednesday, allowing one run on four hits across seven innings during a 7-3 win over the Blue Jays. He struck out seven and did not issue a walk. McClanahan tied his season high with seven innings. and allowed one or fewer runs for the seventh time this year. The left-hander cruised to his eighth victory thanks to plenty of early run support and remains firmly in the AL Cy Young lead conversation, sporting a 1.97 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 75:25 K:BB across 11 outings (64 innings).

He needed exactly 11 pitches to complete each of his first four innings, never throwing more than 15 pitches in a frame as he finished his seven-inning outing — tied for his longest start of the season — with only 82 pitches to his name. McClanahan faced 25 batters, and he only ran up a three-ball count on two of them.

McClanahan is the third pitcher in Rays history to start a season 8-0, joining Matt Moore in 2013 and Charlie Morton in 2019. He has made one career appearance vs. the Cubs on 4/18/22 and did not factor into the decision after throwing 6.0 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.

Bet Rays to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Why Bet on Chicago?

The Cubs’ bullpen is in a good spot because starting pitcher Marcus Stroman threw a complete-game one-hitter on Monday in a 1-0 win over the Rays. Stroman (5-4) dazzled in his fourth complete game and second shutout in nine major league seasons. His only other shutout was against the Cubs during his 2014 rookie season with Toronto.

The only hit Stroman allowed was when Wander Franco delivered a flare for a clean single to left leading off the seventh. Stroman walked Brandon Lowe and got out of that jam by getting Randy Arozarena to fly out and Josh Lowe to ground into a double play. The only other Rays runner to reach base was when Luke Raley was hit by a pitch leading off the third.

Mike Tauchman delivered an RBI sacrifice fly on Monday, powering the Cubs to a 1-0 victory. Tauchman supplied the lone run of the contest for either side with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly against rookie right-hander Taj Bradley. Seiya Suzuki (1-for-3) is batting .304 (14-for-46) with five home runs and eight RBI in his last 13 games. Dansby Swanson (1-for-3) is batting .303 (10-for-33) with two home runs and seven RBI in his last nine games.

Chicago has allowed two or fewer runs in 16 of its last 17 wins. It is 9-7 in interleague play in 2023. The Cubs are 12-11 when they score first in 2023.

It’s Kyle Hendricks on the mound Tuesday. Hendricks (0-1) took the loss Thursday versus the Mets, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out five over 4.1 innings. Hendricks had been out since last July due to a shoulder strain. He was built up fairly well, throwing 86 pitches (56 strikes), but a combination of rust and some poor defense from his teammates made for a lackluster season debut.

Hendricks is scheduled to make his second career start against the Rays. On April 18, 2022, he received a no-decision, tossing 4.1 innings while allowing two earned runs and striking out six. Hendricks has made 33 career interleague starts (six vs. the AL East), going 9-11 with a 3.29 ERA (70 ER/191.1 IP) during those outings.

Bet Cubs to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Game Trends

Rays are 7-2 in their last 9 vs. National League Central.
Rays are 4-0 in their last 4 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game.
Cubs are 5-2 in their last 7 interleague home games.
Cubs are 14-6 in their last 20 games vs. a left-handed starter.
Cubs are 1-5 in their last 6 during game 2 of a series.