Guy Boston emphasized support for Shota Imanaga, dismissing recent public doubts and highlighting his past performances this season. Imanaga has excelled against solid lineups, notably throwing seven shutout innings against the Dodgers in his season debut, seven innings allowing one run versus Arizona, and 7.1 innings of one-run ball against San Diego. Boston expects continued dominance from Imanaga against a Rangers lineup with minimal exposure (zero hits in five combined plate appearances against current hitters). He also leans towards the Rangers' team total under (currently set at 1.5 for first five innings at even odds), citing Imanaga's effectiveness and pitch arsenal as main factors.

JD Bets strongly favors Chicago Cubs money line versus the Texas Rangers, highlighting the clear offensive advantage for the Cubs. Texas ranks dead last in hits per game averaging only 5.8 hits and are scoring just 3.3 runs per game. The Cubs offense currently ranks number one overall, and behind strong pitching from lefty Shota, who boasts an exceptional 15-3 record last year and a 2.91 ERA, they make for a strong confident wager.

Jay Briggs targeted Marcus Semien as a bounce-back candidate today, advising to bet him over his total bases. Despite a slow start to the season, Briggs noted Semien's veteran experience and recent momentum swing after scoring a late-game run yesterday. Suggesting that moment could help him recover his rhythm, Briggs specifically predicted Semien would record an extra-base hit, likely a double today, providing excellent betting value on his player prop.

Jay Briggs advised bettors not to shy away from Kyle Tucker, highlighting his great start and recent Player of the Week recognition. Tucker has clearly maintained a high level of performance early in the season, making him a strong prop bet target today. Briggs indicated bettors should feel confident attacking his props in whichever way makes most sense, given Tucker's momentum and consistent contribution for the Cubs.

Jay Briggs leaned toward Wyatt Langford hitting another home run today despite tough hitting conditions with wind blowing inward at Wrigley. He praised Langford as a rising young player with exceptional power capable of overcoming unfavorable weather. While acknowledging the conditions made the bet risky, Briggs firmly believes Langford has the ability and momentum, having homered in yesterday's game, to provide solid betting value today.

Jay Briggs identified Dansby Swanson as a prime player prop bet, recommending his total bases over 0.5. Briggs noted Swanson's strong performance at the plate yesterday and believes he will continue his success today. While acknowledging the bet has a bit of juice attached to it, Briggs is confident the total bases bet provides strong value given Swanson's ongoing form.

Jay Briggs recommended backing the Texas Rangers today vs. the Cubs, citing multiple reasons. Although the Cubs dominated the first two matchups with a hot offense, Briggs pointed out that today's conditions strongly favor a low-scoring game. With the wind blowing in at Wrigley and Tyler Mahle pitching well early in the season, the Rangers' pitching should thrive as they have so far, winning close and low-scoring games. Briggs predicted a pitching duel and a Nerfie (no-run first inning) outcome, stating these are exactly the types of games the Rangers have won so far. He emphasized attacking the plus money value on Texas to avoid the series sweep and expects this matchup to revert to the lower scoring contests the Rangers have shown strength in.

Joe Osborne strongly endorses betting Shota Imanaga under 1.5 earned runs at plus-140 odds against the Texas Rangers. He highlights Imanaga's stellar start to the season, boasting a minuscule 0.98 ERA and a remarkable 0.71 WHIP across three tough matchups against top-tier teams Dodgers, Padres, and Diamondbacks. Osborne sees this as a repeatable pattern from last year, when Imanaga similarly excelled early, allowing one or fewer earned runs in seven of his first nine starts. Supporting Osborne's bet further is the Rangers' offense, currently ranked a dismal 25th in OPS this season, indicating a sluggish start offensively. Osborne confidently sees significant value on this prop given Imanaga's formidable recent form combined with the Rangers' early offensive struggles.

Jimmy Adams strongly backed Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga against the Rangers. He highlighted Imanaga's stellar early-season performance, allowing just two runs combined through his initial three starts and pitching seven or more innings in two of those games. Imanaga impressively carries a 4% walk rate from last season, and his WOBA sits at a notably low 279 in 2024. Adams praised Imanaga's arsenal of pitches, consisting primarily of a four-seamer, splitter, and a sweeper, helping him dominate hitters and maintain control. Additionally, he emphasized how hot the Cubs offense has been—leading MLB in runs scored with consistent run production night after night, including recently putting up ten runs in their last game. Given Imanaga's dominance and the Cubs' potent offense, Adams labeled it a confident bet to take Chicago today.

Jimmy Adams advised betting against the Texas Rangers, as their offense is currently struggling significantly. Despite their strong lineup on paper, Texas has underperformed this year, even narrowly winning successive 1-0 games against the Reds, showing their inability to produce meaningful offense in recent days. The Rangers face Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga, who has yielded only two total runs in three starts so far this season, including throwing seven or more innings in two of those outings and holding an impressive 4% walk rate from last season. Adams emphasized the Cubs' hot bats, mentioning they lead MLB in runs scored and have consistently put up seven or more runs night after night. Given these contrasting offensive performances and Imanaga's dominance, Adams strongly recommended betting against Texas by backing the Cubs.

Cash Out Sports Picks suggests taking the Cubs' money line against Texas due to strong pitching from Imanaga. The Rangers offense has struggled against left-handed pitchers, batting just .216, and Imanaga has surrendered just three runs over his last five home starts. Additionally, Chicago thrives offensively at home, averaging seven runs per game in their last three home games, creating solid value on the Cubs money line.

Joe Pisapia strongly endorsed trading for Marcus Semien, pointing out Semien's consistent track record over recent years despite his current slump. Although he is hitting just .125 with high strikeout numbers early, Pisapia highlighted historical patterns, noting Semien is a notorious slow starter before heating up significantly. Welsh backed this by mentioning Semien's extremely low current BABIP (.150 vs usual .282+) and highest barrel rate in four seasons, suggesting inevitable positive regression. Both emphasized Semien's multi-category potential and secure lineup spot, making him an ideal buy low candidate if current managers panic sell.

Chris Welsh confidently advised trading for Jake Burger despite the hitter’s early season .105 batting average. Welsh cited extreme bad luck demonstrated by one of baseball’s lowest BABIP marks and highlighted Burger's underlying metrics—solid double-digit barrel rate, stable launch angle, career-best strikeout rate reduction—as strong indicators of imminent improvement. Welsh believes Burger's power—a legitimate 25-35 homer upside—remains entirely intact, making him an excellent trade target if managers grow weary of his unlucky start.

Dan Palyo expects Shota Imanaga to surpass his strikeout prop (over 5.5 Ks), referencing his solid underlying metrics despite a low early-season strikeout rate of 14.7%. With a 13.5% swinging strike percentage and strong chase rates matching top-tier strikeout pitchers like Hunter Brown, Palyo anticipates statistical regression toward better numbers. Imanaga has already faced tough matchups (LAD, SDP, ARI) and has performed decently given the circumstances. Texas holds a 25% strikeout rate against lefties, giving Imanaga a prime opportunity to achieve his typical K-rate and clear the strikeout total.

Las Vegas Cris favored betting on Chicago Cubs starting strong in the first five innings against the Rangers. Their simulation model shows the Cubs leading by at least one run in nearly 64% of outcomes. Chicago has excelled against right-handed pitching in 2025, posting a .259 batting average, .359 on-base percentage, and .784 OPS. Shota Imanaga, the Cubs starter, has dominated early with only two earned runs allowed in 18 innings and a 0.71 WHIP, facing a struggling Texas lineup. The Cubs have consistently provided profitable first-five-inning results since mid-last season, sustaining that trend early in 2025.

Jimmy Adams recommended betting the Cubs moneyline at -145 against Texas Rangers due to Chicago's potent offense and reliable starter Shota Imanaga. The Cubs have surged to 7 wins in their previous 8 contests and lead MLB in runs scored, showcasing consistency by producing at least 7 runs in seven of those games. The Cubs have significantly outscored the Rangers 17-6 in this series. Their starting pitcher, Imanaga, has been particularly dominant, allowing only two earned runs through three starts. Adams believes these combined factors make the Cubs a reliable bet to complete the sweep of Texas.

Guy Boston recommended fading Texas Rangers pitcher Patrick Corbin against the Cubs given concerning historical metrics. Corbin has struggled mightily against this Cubs roster in a sizable sample of 167 plate appearances, owning troubling underlying numbers—a mediocre 13.8% strikeout rate, a high 10.2% walk rate, an alarming .352 expected batting average, .672 expected slugging, and .461 expected wOBA allowed. Despite reservations about Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon, Guy Boston sees meaningful betting value in backing the Cubs offense and an over play in expectation of significant scoring against Corbin.

JD Bets strongly recommends playing the over on Patrick Corbin's earned runs line at 2.5 against the Cubs. Corbin, now with Texas, had a rough previous season posting a record of 6-13 with a very high 5.62 ERA. Historically, Cubs hitters have excelled against him, showcasing plenty of high batting averages and significant power numbers in past matchups. JD emphasizes Corbin's track record of struggling performances last year, consistently surpassing the 2.5 earned runs line, making him a strong fade candidate in this spot against a Cubs lineup that's historically hit him well.

Joe Osborne enthusiastically advises betting the Cubs to surpass their alternate team total of 4.5 runs (+122) against Patrick Corbin and the Rangers. Osborne highlights Patrick Corbin's well-known struggles at Wrigley Field, evidenced by his career 5.82 ERA in this ballpark. Even further, Cubs batters collectively own an impressive 1.000+ OPS against Corbin over a solid 148 at-bat sample. Last season, Corbin allowed 5 earned runs and 9 base runners over just 4.1 innings against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Additionally, the Cubs offense has been red-hot lately, scoring five or more runs in seven of their previous eight games, ranking third in runs per game (6.46) and fifth overall in weighted runs created plus (wRC+). Osborne also mentions Corbin's rushed preparation, noting he hasn't pitched in spring training or minor league games and has limited readiness from only throwing a simulated game before this start. Despite some wind blowing inward at Wrigley Field, Osborne emphasizes sportsbooks have factored this in, and the price of +122 offers great value.

Seiya Suzuki is Beermakersfan's favorite DFS bat of the slate tonight facing Patrick Corbin. Suzuki has exploded to start 2025, with three massive games above 20 DK points, including a recent two-homer, 39 DK point performance. He has hit multiple hits in five of his last eight games and shown staggering, although limited-sample, dominance against lefties (over .700 wOBA and nearly .900 ISO). Corbin struggles considerably versus right-handers, surrendering more than 50 home runs to righty batters over the past two seasons combined. Suzuki stands out as a no-brainer DFS option tonight, combining hot recent form and elite matchup upside.

Dansby Swanson was called out by Beermakersfan as a prime DFS play today due to his excellent power profile facing a lefty, specifically Patrick Corbin. Swanson has opened the season strongly with three home runs and seven RBIs. He crushed left-handed pitching last season for a .385 wOBA and a stellar 52% hard contact. Corbin remains a pitcher DFS players eagerly target, continuously struggling badly against right-handed hitters with a .377 wOBA allowed, an ISO above .250, and 53% hard contact rate given up last year. This presents an ideal home-run upside scenario for Dansby Swanson tonight.

Kingpin strongly likes Dansby Swanson to exceed 1.5 total bases against Rangers left-hander Patrick Corbin. Swanson has been locked in, homering in the opener of the series. He matches well against Corbin's pitching style, which has struggled in recent seasons. With favorable weather conditions at Wrigley Field and Swanson’s strong swings against lefties, expect him to consistently generate solid contact, producing at least an extra-base hit or multiple base hits to cash this attractive prop bet.

Chris Bennett strongly suggested targeting Cubs' hitters against Nationals' lefty Patrick Corbin, noting impressive historical success where the Cubs current lineup is hitting .351 collectively (52-for-148) off him. Bennett specifically highlights Nico Hoerner ($3,100), who is 5-for-12 against Corbin, and Justin Turner ($2,700), boasting an outstanding 17-for-45 career line against the pitcher, thus offering excellent value in DFS lineups.

Chris Bennett predicts that the Rangers' stack (Adolis Garcia $3,600, Wyatt Langford $3,400, Marcus Semien $3,200) could provide contrarian upside despite their modest 3.6 run total. Bennett believes the Rangers can keep pace offensively with the Cubs, who have a favorable matchup against Patrick Corbin. Cubs' Jameson Taillon has struggled considerably early in the season against right-handed hitters (.604 wOBA and 1.444 OPS allowed), creating a prime situation for Rangers' right-handed bats, especially if the wind aids balls hit to left field at Wrigley.

Jamie Calandro recommends a Cubs stack against Patrick Corbin due to his sustained struggles against righties, highlighted by a .374 wOBA allowed, low strikeouts, and elevated home-run rates versus RHB over the past three years. Calandro also notes Corbin’s deteriorating performance against left-handed batters, suggesting not to overlook effective same-handed hitters like Kyle Tucker. Recommended core pieces for this stack include Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and Dansby Swanson.

Jamie Calandro highlighted Seiya Suzuki as a strong DFS option due to his favorable matchup against Patrick Corbin, whose struggles against right-handed hitters include significant issues with both power and contact. Suzuki owns a robust .209 ISO versus lefties since the beginning of last season and should be near the top of the Cubs' lineup. Corbin has allowed a .374 wOBA and has a low 17% K rate against right-handed batters, creating a scenario ripe for Suzuki to perform well.

Kyle Purviance strongly recommended RBI prop bets for Justin Turner against struggling Rangers pitcher Patrick Corbin. Over 51 plate appearances against Corbin, Turner has recorded a .378 batting average, including 17 hits (11 singles, 4 doubles, 2 home runs), with 4 walks. Purviance expects Turner to continue 'mashing' against Corbin due to this extensive productive history, making Turner a strong play in RBI markets once odds are available.

Kyle Purviance recommended avoiding winner bets in the Cubs vs Rangers matchup because both Jameson Taillon and Patrick Corbin have unhealthy volatility and potential for implosion. However, he firmly advocated focusing on Cubs hitter props, especially RBI markets, because of Corbin’s historically poor pitching performance. He reinforced the Cubs lineup’s strong upside against Corbin as a more reliable value angle rather than attempting to pick a winner in a matchup featuring two risky starters.

Peter Dewey likes the home run odds for Seiya Suzuki against struggling Nationals lefty Patrick Corbin. Suzuki has started strong this season, hitting .250 with four homers in 13 games. Historically, he's solid against left-handers, posting a slash of .286/.382/.479. Corbin, on the other hand, has consistently surrendered high home run numbers, leading the league in earned runs allowed in three of the past four seasons. In career head-to-head matchups, Suzuki thrives versus Corbin, hitting .400 (4-for-10) with two home runs already. Dewey finds value in betting Suzuki to extend his success against Corbin.

ESPN Fantasy recommended targeting Cubs right-handed hitters—such as Dansby Swanson, Matt Shaw, and Justin Turner—for fantasy and DFS lineups given their home matchup at Wrigley Field against Patrick Corbin. Corbin was just recalled from the minors to spot-start due to Jack Leiter's IL stint and has struggled significantly since 2020 with a 5.62 ERA and 1.53 WHIP, creating an advantageous situation for Chicago's right-handed bats.

Derek Carty recommended betting on Leody Taveras' home run prop (+1200 odds), assigning it an 8% likelihood with $8.55 EV. Taveras' 94th percentile opposite-field flyball rate (37.5%) pairs perfectly with Wrigley Field's shallow left-field fences, significantly improving his chances of hitting a home run in this matchup.

Eric Lindquist recommended backing the Chicago Cubs moneyline primarily due to Texas Rangers pitcher Patrick Corbin's significant and lasting struggles. Lindquist highlighted Corbin's poor recent seasons, featuring 5.62, 6.41, and 6.53 expected ERAs, respectively, in recent years, accompanied by consistently high hard-hit (over 44%) and low strikeout rates (15.7%) in previous campaigns. He firmly stated that given this extensive track record, betting against Corbin is straightforward value, even jokingly dismissing friend's beliefs in potential 'Cy Corbin' performances as highly unlikely at this stage in Corbin's career.

Kody Malstrom strongly suggests betting YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) in today's Rangers vs Cubs matchup due primarily to Patrick Corbin's history of struggles. Last season, Corbin led the league in hits and earned runs allowed, making him a consistent target for early scoring action. The Cubs, meanwhile, enter this matchup leading all MLB teams in contact rate, perfectly positioning them to exploit Corbin's weaknesses right out of the gate. Expect immediate offense given Corbin's continued vulnerability and the Cubs' disciplined hitting approach.

JD Bets strongly recommends betting Justin Steele over 1.5 earned runs allowed against the Texas Rangers, highlighting Steele's recent struggles. Steele has allowed at least two earned runs in each of his last three starts, making JD Bets reluctant to trust him to perform better now. Despite the Cubs offense showing promise recently, JD is more confident in Texas' strong hitting lineup effectively capitalizing on Steele's recent vulnerability. JD explicitly dismisses weather or other external factors, firmly believing Steele's poor recent outings indicate continued struggles against Texas.

Chris Ruffolo likes Wyatt Langford to homer against Cubs starter Justin Steele, noting Langford has historically crushed left-handed pitching. Steele, although picking up wins in his first two starts, has been getting hit hard and has already allowed three home runs so far this season. Considering Steele's shaky recent form, Langford is a valuable bet at plus 650 to hit a home run tonight.

Adam Rosenberg backed Nathan Eovaldi to record a win at plus 150, emphasizing Eovaldi's role as a dependable workhorse for Texas. Adam identified this as a favorable spot since Eovaldi figures to pitch deep and effectively while matching up against the Cubs' Justin Steele, who has struggled lately with bottom-percentile metrics. Steele has posted unusually inflated lines, and Adam believes Eovaldi will capitalize on a weaker Cubs lineup that generally has limited strikeout threat against him. Additionally, Adam mentioned upcoming rotation concerns, specifically Patrick Corbin's expected start tomorrow, incentivizing Texas to rely heavily on Eovaldi today.

Tokyo Brandon advised backing the Texas Rangers in their matchup against the Chicago Cubs, primarily due to the current form of both starting pitchers and bullpen strengths. He praised Rangers' starter Nathan Eovaldi, who is off to a stellar season with a 1.20 ERA and ranked 10th out of 30 starters in Brandon's detailed pitching rankings. Conversely, Justin Steele is struggling significantly this year with a 6.89 ERA, ranked only 19th by Brandon, due to apparent mechanical and mental issues affecting his performance. Additionally, Brandon highlighted the Cubs' bullpen issues, ranking them 29th out of 30 bullpens, while Texas enjoys a top-10 bullpen. He acknowledged concerns about the Rangers offense, ranked poorly at 27th currently, but still believed Texas' bats could wake up considering Steele’s struggles and an exploitable bullpen. Brandon ultimately recommends a small wager (1-2% of betting portfolio) on Texas money line for this matchup.

Peter Dewey identified significant value in Wyatt Langford's prop to homer (+600) against Cubs pitcher Justin Steele. Steele has struggled mightily to start 2025, allowing five homers, posting a 6.89 ERA, and ranking in just the 19th percentile in expected ERA per Statcast across three starts. Langford has hit three home runs already this season, and excels against left-handed pitchers historically with an impressive .544 slugging percentage and eight career homers in only 103 plate appearances against them. Dewey sees this as a prime matchup, boosting the appeal of Langford's home run prop on Monday.

Kenny G highlighted significant issues for Cubs pitcher Justin Steele, recommending consideration of the over total despite a low listed number. Steele has struggled with home runs, having allowed multiple home runs in two of his three starts and at least one in each outing. Steele gave up seven hits and four earned runs, including two home runs, in his last start against a weak-hitting A's lineup. The Cubs are producing offensively (second in MLB runs scored), while the Rangers offense showed timely hitting capability after sweeping Tampa Bay. Kenny tempered enthusiasm due to potential weather concerns at Wrigley Field, but indicated Steele's consistent home-run vulnerability makes betting the over a viable angle in this game.

Kenny G expressed caution about backing the Rangers at +105 citing pitcher Nathan Eovaldi's recent taxing outing as a potential red flag. Eovaldi threw a complete-game shutout against the Reds, allowing only four hits, but Kenny voiced concern about a pitcher going nine innings this early in the season potentially causing fatigue or diminished effectiveness in his next start. The Cubs' offense currently ranks second in MLB in runs scored and sixth in OBP, providing another layer of caution. While liking the Rangers overall this season, Kenny stated the recent heavy workload carried by Eovaldi makes him uncomfortable backing Texas in this spot despite the attractive price.

Eric Lindquist recommended betting the Texas Rangers on the first five innings money line, emphasizing the pitching advantage of Nathan Eovaldi over Justin Steele. Lindquist praised Eovaldi's outstanding start to 2025, highlighting his complete-game opening day performance and ongoing ability to eat innings efficiently. Conversely, he expressed concern about Steele's slow start and recent struggles, potentially impacted by adverse early-season weather conditions and challenging matchups. Lindquist mentioned prohibitive weather conditions at Wrigley Field, expecting a low-scoring, low-variance environment where Eovaldi's strong pitching performance would prove decisive early, making Texas first five innings money line at plus money an attractive wager.