Game Time: 7:15 pm ET, Saturday, July 19, 2025
Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Red Sox +128, Cubs -157; Over/Under: NL runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Red Sox +130, Cubs -155; Over/Under: NL runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Red Sox +130, Cubs -155; Over/Under: NL runs
Season Record
Boston Red Sox: 53-45 (3rd place, AL East)
Chicago Cubs: 57-39 (1st place, NL Central)
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Recent Form
Boston Red Sox: 10-0 last 10
Chicago Cubs: 6-4 last 10
Boston Red Sox vs Chicago Cubs Preview and Analysis
The Red Sox are entering this series off a win and completed the sweep in their 4-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays 4-0 in their last series. They enter this game with a 53-45 record overall and have a road record of 21-25. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Cubs on Saturday with the series opener still to be played on Friday. Their offense ranks 5th in the MLB with a .759 OPS. Lucas Giolito is their starting pitcher on Friday while Brayan Bello is making his start in this game on Saturday. He is 6-3 with a 3.14 ERA this season. His team won their last 3 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 ER, 0 HR, and 0 BB with 5 SO on 6 hits through 6.1 IP against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Cubs are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the New York Yankees 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 57-39 record overall and have a home record of 30-16. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Red Sox on Saturday with the 1st game of this series still to be played on Friday. Their offense ranks 4th in the MLB with a .771 OPS. Colin Rea is their starting pitcher on Friday while Shota Imanaga is making his start in this game on Saturday. He is 6-3 with a 2.65 ERA this season. His team won 3 of their last 4 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 earned run, 1 homer, and 1 walk with 6 strikeouts on 2 hits through 7 innings pitched against the New York Yankees.
Red Sox vs Cubs Prediction
The current betting odds have the Cubs listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cubs have looked great in their games this season with their 57-39 record overall which has them right at the top of the NL Central with one of the best records in the entire MLB. They have also looked great in their own ballpark this year with their 30-16 home record. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have looked good in their games this season with their 53-45 record overall which has them right in the middle of the AL East. They haven't been a great road team though with their 21-25 road record this season. The Red Sox have been red hot lately as they are 10-0 in their last 10 games, but the All-Star break was not good for their momentum and the Cubs have still been hot themselves lately, going 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Cubs also have the much better pitching matchup here with their ace on the mound so they can take advantage of that. Imanaga is on the mound for the Cubs and he has looked great this season. He is 6-3 with a 2.65 ERA and hasn't been giving up many runs lately. He is coming off another good start in which he only gave up 1 earned run, and the team has been having success with him lately as they have won 3 of the last 4 games he started in. The Red Sox are going with Bello in this one and he has been good this season. He is 6-3 with a 3.14 ERA and he is coming off a good start in which he only gave up 1 earned run. His team has also won 3 games in a row with him starting, but the Red Sox have still struggled on the road as a team this season and Imanaga gives the Cubs the edge at home here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game.
Red Sox Cubs Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Saturday, July 19, 2025 (7:15 pm ET start time) is Cubs 7 Red Sox 2.
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MLB Betting Trends
Boston Red Sox: 19-21 (-4.8 units) on the moneyline against NL Central opponents. 211-210 (-15.7 units) on the moneyline in all games. 54-57 (-6.8 units) on the moneyline against left-handed starters. 7-4 UNDER as an underdog of +125 to +175.
Chicago Cubs: 19-14 (+7.3 units) on the moneyline against AL East opponents. 224-196 (+16.1 units) on the moneyline in all games. 120-88 (+16.1 units) on the moneyline in home games. 15-9 UNDER vs. AL teams scoring 4.9 or more runs/game on the season.
Key Injuries
Boston Red Sox: H. Dobbins (SP) Fifteen Day IL - ACL. N. Burdi (RP) Sixty Day IL - Knee. L. Hendriks (RP) Sixty Day IL - Hip. Z. Kelly (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Oblique. L. Guerrero (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. J. Slaten (RP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. J. Winckowski (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. T. Casas (1B) Sixty Day IL - Knee. K. Crawford (SP) Sixty Day IL - Knee. T. Houck (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Flexor. P. Sandoval (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.
Chicago Cubs: P. Hodge (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Shoulder. J. Taillon (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Calf. M. Amaya (C) Ten Day IL - Oblique. E. Morgan (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. J. Assad (RP) Sixty Day IL - Oblique. J. Steele (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.
Notable Quotes
“We pitch. It’s a lot different than last year.” - Alex Cora on his team this season.
“You have to be pleased with how we played the first half. But it’s a looking-back thing, so that doesn’t guarantee you anything moving forward. It shows you you can be a good baseball team. It gives you confidence you can be a good baseball team. Now, you have to do it for [the rest of the season]. That’s how the season works. That’s why the regular season in baseball is a great test.” - Craig Counsell on his team this season.
Starting Lineups
Boston Red Sox
Jarren Duran (L) LF
Alex Bregman (R) 3B
Roman Anthony (L) RF
Masataka Yoshida (L) DH
Trevor Story (R) SS
Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF
Marcelo Mayer (L) 2B
Romy Gonzalez (R) 1B
Connor Wong (R) C
Chicago Cubs
Michael Busch (L) 1B
Kyle Tucker (L) DH
Seiya Suzuki (R) RF
Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF
Carson Kelly (R) C
Ian Happ (S) LF
Dansby Swanson (R) SS
Nico Hoerner (R) 2B
Vidal Bruján (S) 3B
Statistical Leaders
Boston Red Sox
Batting Average: Romy Gonzalez (.326)
Hits: Jarren Duran (103)
Home Runs: Wilyer Abreu (18)
RBI: Trevor Story (58)
Stolen Bases: Jarren Duran (16)
Wins: Garrett Crochet (10)
Saves: Aroldis Chapman (17)
ERA: Nick Burdi (0.00)
Chicago Cubs
Batting Average: Michael Busch (.290)
Hits: Kyle Tucker (100)
Home Runs: Seiya Suzuki (25)
RBI: Seiya Suzuki (77)
Stolen Bases: Pete Crow-Armstrong (27)
Wins: Matthew Boyd (10)
Saves: Daniel Palencia (12)
ERA: Michael Fulmer (0.00)
Managers:
Boston Red Sox: Álex Cora (5th season)
Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell (2nd season)