With the MLB All-Star weekend just around the corner, the action on the diamond this summer is starting to heat up. That’s why there’s a renewed focus on Tuesday’s game featuring the Cleveland Guardians (40-42) against the Chicago Cubs (49-35).
Cleveland is 11.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers, the largest gap between the top two teams in any division. The Guardians are chasing several teams for the final spots in this year’s postseason, but a four-game losing streak has them losing ground.
The Cubs are in a better position but have lost two of their past three series. In fact, Chicago won only two series in June, notching wins over cellar-dwellers Pittsburgh and Washington.
Can the Cubs open July with a victory over the Guardians, or will Cleveland snap its losing streak? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player prop bets for Tuesday’s game.
Live player props data coming soon for Nico Hoerner.
Chicago Cubs 2B Nico Hoerner To Record A Hit (-210)
Few Chicago players have been more consistent than second baseman Nico Hoerner. The veteran has batted at least .273 every season since 2021, including this year’s .293 batting average.
On paper, tonight’s matchup is not a great one for him. The right-handed hitter has recorded only four hits in 22 official at-bats against Cleveland, but the veteran has never faced Gavin Williams before.
Hoerner has been on a hot streak as of late. In 15 of his past 16 outings, he’s recorded at least one hit in those games. Expect that streak to continue on Tuesday as he covers this player prop bet against Cleveland.
Live player props data coming soon for Jose Ramirez.
Cleveland Guardians 3B Jose Ramirez To Hit A Home Run (+420)
It’s no secret that Jose Ramirez is Cleveland’s best hitter. The third baseman is batting .309, the eighth-best average in the majors this season. He’s also smacked 13 home runs out of the park this year. Still, the deep ball has alluded him as of late; he’s hit just one round-tripper over the past three weeks.
Tonight’s matchup against Chicago’s starting pitcher Matt Boyd is a good one for Ramirez, however. In 41 at-bats against Boyd, the third baseman has recorded 12 hits, three of which were homers. He’ll collect his fourth tonight against Boyd, covering this player prop bet.
Live player props data coming soon for Matthew Boyd.
Chicago Cubs SP Matthew Boyd OVER 17.5 Outs Recorded
Expect a few friendly exchanges tonight between the Guardians and Boyd on Tuesday. Last season, Boyd was on Cleveland’s roster, starting eight games for the AL Central team. Tonight, he’ll pitch against his one-time team for the first time since that stint.
Boyd is second on the Cubs in innings pitched this season, throwing one out shy of 92 innings thus far. He’s finished the sixth inning in all but one of his last six outings, giving bettors confidence that he’ll record at least 18 outs against the Guardians.
Best Bet: OVER 8.5
It’s tempting to take Chicago to win and cover their spread, especially since the Guardians have been defeated by two or more runs in 12 of their past 16 losses. Yet the Cubs haven’t been on a hot streak, either. Taking them to cover the spread feels more like a toss-up than a sure bet.
Instead, focus on the final score. Cleveland has been shut out in three of their previous four games and allowed at least five runs in each. It’s time the Guardians’ bats woke up against the Cubs’ suddenly suspect bullpen, and the final score will finish above 8.5 runs on Tuesday.
