Day baseball returns to Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon as the Chicago Cubs (62-47) host the New York Yankees (61-48) in a matinee matchup to open a three-game interleague series in Illinois.
The Yankees enter Friday 3.5 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and hold the top Wild Card spot in the American League, but they’re coming off two consecutive extra-inning losses to the Chicago White Sox in a four-game series they split.
The Cubs are also in second place in their division, sitting 5.5 games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central while holding the top Wild Card spot in the National League. While Chicago experienced both hot and cold stretches during the first half of the season, the Cubs enter Friday having won back-to-back series, including their most recent against St. Louis, and own the fifth-best record in MLB.
Will Warren will make the start for the Yankees after a rough outing in his last appearance, allowing six earned runs in just three innings in a loss to Philadelphia. It has been a subpar month of July for the right-hander, who is 0-2 with a 7.50 ERA. Left-hander and 2024 All-Star Shota Imanaga is set to take the mound for the Cubs, and unlike Warren, he’s enjoyed an outstanding July, posting a 1.19 ERA across four starts, including back-to-back scoreless outings in his previous two appearances.
Yankees vs. Cubs Current Odds
The Cubs are home favorites at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook for Friday afternoon’s series opener coming off a 4-2 extra-inning win over St. Louis on Thursday:
Yankees vs. Cubs Predictions
There’s nothing quite like day baseball to get the weekend started, and Friday afternoon’s Yankees vs. Cubs matchup offers exactly that between two teams that would be in the playoffs if the postseason started today. Head over to Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook and check out Stats Hub to get in on the daytime baseball betting action and make picks like the one below:
Cubs vs. Yankees Best Bet: Will Warren Over 2.5 Earned Runs (-130)
The Cubs are statistically one of the most productive offenses in MLB this season, and that hasn’t changed since the All-Star break. Chicago has scored the third-most runs and driven in the third-most RBIs this season. Since the break, the Cubs rank second in both runs scored and RBIs while leading the majors with 135 hits.
As mentioned above, Will Warren has endured a difficult month of July and an overall rough stretch over the past couple of months, including his previous start. It’s not a reach to say the Yankees’ right-hander could be in for another challenging outing Friday afternoon against a dangerous Cubs lineup.
- Cubs vs. Yankees Player Prop Pick for July 31: Will Warren Over 2.5 Earned Runs (-130)
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props for NYY-CHC
Ben Rice enters the final day of July with a .272 batting average and eight home runs for the month, making him a popular target in the player prop markets whenever the Yankees take the field:
- Ben Rice – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Ben Rice – Over 0.5 Hits
- Nico Hoerner – Over 0.5 Hits
- Pete Crow-Armstrong – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Pete Crow-Armstrong – Over 0.5 Hits
Yankees vs. Cubs Game Info
- š Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
- š Date: Friday, July 31
- ā° First Pitch: 2:20 PM ET
- šŗš» TV/Streaming: MLB.TV
- ā¾ Probable Pitchers:
- Yankees: Will Warren
- Cubs: Shota Imanaga
More Ways to Bet
One swing can cash your ticket, but until then, Florida players can keep things interesting with Real Money Games powered by Past Motor Racing, only on Hard Rock Bet. Itās another way to stay engaged between plate appearances.
Referenced odds are subject to change.
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