Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox Prediction, Preview and Odds - 05/15/2026

Game Time: 7:40 pm ET, Friday, May 15, 2026

Venue:  Rate Field, Chicago, IL 

Where to Watch:  MLB TV

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -149, White Sox +123; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -150, White Sox +125; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -150, White Sox +125; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Chicago Cubs:  27-16 (1st place, NL Central)

Chicago White Sox:  21-21 (2nd place, AL Central)

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Chicago Cubs:  6-4 last 10

Chicago White Sox:  6-4 last 10

The Cubs lost their 3-game series against the Texas Rangers 2-1. They enter this game with a 27-16 record overall and have a road record of 9-11. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the White Sox on Friday with the series finale of their series against the Atlanta Braves still to be played on Thursday. The Cubs lost the 1st game of that series on Tuesday and the 2nd game on Wednesday. Their offense ranks 5th in the MLB with a .748 OPS. Ben Brown is their starting pitcher on Thursday while Edward Cabrera is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 3-1 with a 3.88 ERA this season. His team won 4 of their last 5 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 5 ER, 2 HR, and 1 BB with 6 SO on 7 hits through 5 IP against the Texas Rangers.

The White Sox won their 3-game series against the Seattle Mariners 2-1. They enter this game with a 21-21 record overall and have a home record of 11-9. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Cubs on Friday with the last game of their series against the Kansas City Royals still to be played on Thursday. They won the 1st game of that series on Tuesday and the 2nd game on Wednesday. Their offense ranks 9th in the MLB with a .719 OPS. Anthony Kay is their starting pitcher on Thursday while Sean Burke is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 2-3 with a 3.68 ERA this season. His team lost 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 6 earned runs, 2 homers, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts on 6 hits through 4.1 innings pitched against the Seattle Mariners.

The current betting odds have the Cubs listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. They have looked great in their games this season with their 27-16 record overall which has them right at the top of the NL Central. They haven't been a good road team though with their 9-11 road record this year. Meanwhile, the White Sox have looked good in their games this season with their 21-21 record overall which has them right near the top of the AL Central. They have looked better in their own ballpark too with their 11-9 home record this season. The White Sox have been one of the worst teams in MLB over the last few years, but they are starting to turn things around this season with a decent start. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games and have looked good lately, but they are still a younger team that has been really up and down this season. The Cubs are also 6-4 in their last 10 games and haven't been at their best lately, they are a lot more reliable as a team since they have been one of the best teams in their division going back to last season. Burke is on the mound for the White Sox here and he hasn't been bad this season, but he hasn't been great either. He is 2-3 with a 3.68 ERA and he has been giving up more runs lately. He is off a terrible start in which he gave up 6 earned runs and the team hasn't had a ton of success with him this year either, losing 2 of their last 3 games with him starting. The Cubs are going with Cabrera in this one and he hasn't been bad this season. He is 3-1 with a 3.88 ERA and he has been giving up more runs lately, but the team is still finding success with him. He gave up 5 earned runs in his last start, but that hasn't been a common theme for him and he will be looking to bounce back. The team has also won 4 of their last 5 games with him starting and they still have the better offense to back him up. The White Sox have looked good lately, but the Cubs are still the more reliable team with the better offense, so look for them to open up this series with a win. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game. 

Cubs White Sox Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Friday, May 15, 2026 (7:40 pm ET start time) is Cubs 6 White Sox 4.

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Chicago Cubs: 23-15 (+6.2 units) on the moneyline against AL Central opponents. 138-83 (+20.9 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -110 or higher. 64-43 (+16.5 units) on the moneyline in an inter-league game. 24-16 OVER in all games. 11-2 OVER vs. a team with a poor bullpen whose ERA is 4.20 or worse.

Chicago White Sox: 9-27 (-13.9 units) on the moneyline against NL Central opponents. 110-232 (-62.4 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 or higher. 38-71 (-20 units) on the moneyline in an inter-league game. 12-4 OVER when playing against a team with a winning record. 18-11 OVER against right-handed starters.

Chicago Cubs:  M. Boyd (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Knee. R. Martin (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. C. Thielbar (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Hamstring. P. Hodge (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. C. Horton (SP) Sixty Day IL - Forearm. H. Harvey (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Tricep. J. Steele (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. J. Wicks (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Forearm. T. Austin (1B) Sixty Day IL - Knee. S. Miller (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

Chicago White Sox:  A. Hays (LF) Ten Day IL - Calf. T. Murray (LF) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. E. Pereira (RF) Ten Day IL - Shoulder. P. Berroa (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. B. Baldwin (LF) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. M. Vasil (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. K. Teel (C) Ten Day IL - Hamstring. D. Thorpe (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. K. Bush (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

“It was definitely the bright spot offensively today. I thought Alex had some good at-bats, swung the bat good and looked good.” - Craig Counsell after his team’s loss against the Braves in their game on Tuesday. 

“I think that makes a very big difference. It helps these guys hold each other accountable, give each other energy every day and communicate well. We’re seeing it show up in everything that they do.” - Will Venable on his team enjoying playing together this season. 

Nico Hoerner (R) 2B

Moisés Ballesteros (L) DH

Alex Bregman (R) 3B

Ian Happ (S) LF

Seiya Suzuki (R) RF

Michael Busch (L) 1B

Carson Kelly (R) C

Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF

Dansby Swanson (R) SS

Sam Antonacci (L) LF

Munetaka Murakami (L) 1B

Miguel Vargas (R) 3B

Colson Montgomery (L) SS

Chase Meidroth (R) 2B

Andrew Benintendi (L) DH

Jarred Kelenic (L) RF

Tristan Peters (L) CF

Drew Romo (S) C

Batting Average:  Michael Conforto (.333)

Hits:  Nico Hoerner (46)

Home Runs:  Ian Happ (9)

RBI:  Nico Hoerner (29)

Stolen Bases:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (10)

Wins:  Shota Imanaga (4)

Saves:  Daniel Palencia (2)

ERA:  Ethan Roberts (0.00)

Batting Average:  Sam Antonacci (.278)

Hits:  Chase Meidroth (41)

Home Runs:  Munetaka Murakami (15)

RBI:  Colson Montgomery (29)

Stolen Bases:  Luisangel Acuña (6)

Wins:  Davis Martin (5)

Saves:  Seranthony Domínguez (10)

ERA:  Duncan Davitt (0.00)

Managers:

Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell (3rd season)

Chicago White Sox: Will Venable (2nd season)