There will be plenty of blue and red on the field this weekend, with the Texas Rangers (4-2) and Chicago Cubs (2-3) colliding for some early interleague action.
Texas swept their season’s opening series at home against the defending NL champs, the Philadelphia Phillies. Their second series wasn’t nearly as smooth, as it took three runs in the later innings to avoid getting swept by the Orioles. Either way, they enter this series top-10 in run scoring and run prevention, so there shouldn’t be many complaints from Arlington.
The Cubs took their Opening Day game but followed it up with a three-game losing streak. They got back on track in Cincinnati on Tuesday with a 12-5 win. Now, they’re back home and have their sights set on a winning streak.
It’s been years since these teams played each other, but they stand face-to-face today. Here’s what you need to know about Rangers vs. Cubs today.
Match Details
Fixture: Texas Rangers @ Chicago Cubs
Date and Time: Friday, April 7, 2023, 2:20 p.m. EST
Venue: Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois
Rangers vs. Cubs: Betting Odds
| Team | Run Line | Total | Money Line |
| Rangers | +1.5 (-205) | Over 6.5 (-110) | +105 |
| Cubs | -1.5 (+175) | Under 6.5 (-110) | -125 |
Rangers vs. Cubs: Starting Pitchers
Nathan Eovaldi made his Rangers debut last Saturday, pitching 5.0 innings and allowing three runs. He’ll get his follow-up this afternoon against a Cubs team he’s only faced twice in his long career. Both of those starts were in June 2014.
Marcus Stroman will finally get his second start of the season after his scheduled start against the Reds was postponed. Stroman’s first start of 2023 was beautiful, as he tossed six shutout innings with eight strikeouts. He has a 7.71 ERA against the Rangers in four career starts, although the most recent was back in April 2018.
Key Stats
Texas is averaging 6.0 runs per game entering this one. The Rangers have clubbed nine home runs (10th) while only striking out 50 times so far (9th). On the pitching side, they’re top-10 in ERA, runs allowed, hits allowed, home runs allowed, walks issued, and strikeouts. Marcus Semien is 7-13 in his career against Marcus Stroman, along with two walks and only one strikeout.
Chicago’s hitters have struck out the fewest times in MLB, which has helped them rank top-10 in batting average and on-base percentage through the first week of games. Power is an issue, though, as they’ve only clubbed four homers. Their pitchers have only allowed four home runs, ranking fourth in that while ranking fourth in hits allowed and 10th in runs allowed. Yan Gomes is 6-11 against Nathan Eovaldi in his career, and Eric Hosmer is 4-7 against Eovaldi with one long ball.
Rangers vs. Cubs: Betting Prediction
Stroman has been a better pitcher than Eovaldi in his career, including a better 2022 campaign. Stroman is Chicago’s ace, and his starts need to be win days for the club. So far, they’re 1-0 in his starts. Texas may have the more dangerous lineup, but we haven’t seen how they hit away from Globe Life Field yet. This seems like a game destined to go to the home team. Take the Cubs to win the first game of this three-game set.
