Rangers vs Cubs Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for April 7 (Texas' Hitters Get the Job Done at Wrigley Field)

Rangers vs. Cubs Game Info

• Date: Friday, April 7, 2023
• Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
• Venue: Wrigley Field -- Chicago, IL
• Coverage: Apple TV+

The 2023 MLB season continues on Friday with an exciting showdown between the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs. The Rangers are coming off a series in which they lost two of three games against the Baltimore Orioles, while the Cubs recently split a two-game series against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Rangers will look to pull off a small upset with veteran Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 5.40 ERA) on the mound as the Cubs counter with ace Marcus Stroman (1-0, 0.00 ERA) drawing the start. Will the home squad climb back to the .500 mark or will the road team keep their hot start going at Wrigley Field?

Rangers vs. Cubs Odds & Spread

• All MLB betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: TEX: (+108) | CHC: (-126)
• Spread: TEX: +1.5 (-210) | CHC: -1.5 (+172)
• Total: 6.5 -- Over: (-115) | Under: (-105)

The Cubs enter this interleague matchup as slight home favorites on the moneyline at FanDuel Sportsbook. This game also has a projected total of 6.5 runs, which the over favored at -115 odds.

Rangers vs. Cubs Betting Trends

• Texas is 5-1 straight up in its last six games against an NL opponent.
• The total has hit the under in 10 of Texas' last 15 games against the Cubs.
• The Cubs are 6-1 straight up in their last seven games against an AL West opponent.
• The total has hit the under in 13 of the Cubs' last 16 home games.

Rangers vs. Cubs Prediction & Pick

This is an interesting pitching matchup considering Eovaldi last faced the Cubs in 2014 and Stroman last faced the Rangers in 2018. Both hurlers have tuned up their arsenal of pitches since that time and have developed into reliable starters. This one could come down to which bullpen falls apart.

That gives an advantage to the Rangers considering they rank No. 1 when it comes to bullpen ERA this season (0.73). The Cubs check in all the way down at No. 25 (5.30) and have proven to be shaky once the starter leaves the game. Texas has enough offense to take advantage in the late innings.

Manager Bruce Bochy's squad enters Friday averaging 6.0 runs (No. 5 in MLB) on an average of 8.7 hits (No. 12 in MLB) per game. The likes of Marcus Semien and Corey Seager should have no trouble getting on base at Wrigley Field, which puts pressure on guys like Dansby Swanson to do the same.

Final Score Prediction: Rangers: 4 | Cubs: 3

Rangers vs. Cubs Best Bet

As mentioned above, the Rangers have gotten off to a 4-2 start due in large part to the offense. They have already had outbursts of 11 and 16 runs, which is a rare feat in a league full of aces. It's worth noting the Cubs have allowed more than 3 runs in three of their five games this season and Stroman owns a 7.71 career ERA against Texas. Trust the Rangers to cross the plate at least four times today.

Bet: Texas Rangers Over 3 Runs (-106)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.