3 Best MLB Bets and Player Props for Guardians at Cubs on Tuesday 7/1/25

Even within a single MLB game, you've got countless betting markets to choose from.

Which ones stand out today as the Cleveland Guardians take on the Chicago Cubs?

We're going to run through my favorites in FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB betting odds. You can also check out FanDuel Research's MLB player prop projections if you want a glimpse at projected strikeouts, home runs, and more.

Now, let's dig into the best bets for this game.

Betting Picks for Guardians at Cubs

Cubs -1.5 (+118)

The Guardians (40-42) and Cubs (49-35) will kick off a three-game series at Wrigley Field tonight, and I like the home team's chances to cover the run line.

The Cubs will send Matt Boyd to the bump. Boyd tossed six scoreless innings his last time out and has been mostly solid this season, pitching to a 2.65 ERA, 3.44 xERA, 3.84 SIERA, 22.3% K%, and holding opponents to 0.98 home runs per nine innings. He owns a 1.49 ERA and 0.77 WHIP across his last six starts.

Boyd should revel in this matchup against Cleveland, as the active roster sports a .288 wOBA (26th), 85 wRC+ (26th), and .345 SLG (26th) versus LHPs. On the road in the split, the Guardians show an even worse .271 wOBA and 71 wRC+ all while striking out at a 23.3% rate. Chicago's active bullpen sports a top-of-the-league 2.10 ERA. Thus, we can look for a quiet night from Cleveland's bats.

On the other side of this game, we've got Gavin Williams taking on a strong Cubs offense. Williams enters with a 3.68 ERA, 4.35 xERA, 4.27 xFIP, and 22.9% K%. He has given up three bombs across his last four starts and the Cubs could make him pay. Chicago's active roster shows a .340 wOBA (5th), 119 wRC+ (7th), .453 SLG (5th), and only a 20.2% K% versus RHPs. They average 5.39 runs per game (second-most in MLB). I think they can enter that range at home tonight, which would put them in line to win by more than one run.

Matt Boyd Over 17.5 Outs Recorded (-122)

The strikeouts aren't always there for Boyd, but we can look for him to complete the sixth inning.

Boyd has outdone 17.5 outs recorded in 11 out of 16 starts, including 8 of his last 10 outings. That alone suggests some value in these -122 odds. Add in a date with Cleveland -- a bottom-five offense in most key metrics against lefties -- and Boyd is primed to sail through the batting order tonight.

Notably, he holds a 2.41 ERA and cedes just a .212 OBA at Wrigley, which has helped him complete the sixth in all but one home start.

Pete Crow-Armstrong To Record An RBI (+140)

Pete Crow-Armstrong's magnificent season has afforded him 62 RBIs (ninth-most in MLB) through 83 games. He's knocked in a run in 43.4% of games -- a slight uptick from the 41.6% implied probability on these +140 odds.

He's torching righties to the tune of a .295 BA, .300 ISO, 48.3% fly-ball rate, and 156 wRC+. That'll do against the right-handed Williams, who surrenders a 40.2% fly-ball rate and 1.32 home runs per nine innings to left-handed bats.

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Which bets stand out to you today? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.