MLB picks: Cubs vs. Indians, Rays vs. Red Sox

The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians will wrap up a two-game set at Progressive Field on Wednesday night, while the four-gamer between the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox rolls on at Fenway Park. Join us as we handicap both games below.

Chicago Cubs (11-3) at Cleveland Indians (10-8), 6:10 p.m. ET

The Cubs and their powerful offense should ride another fine start from Kyle Hendricks to victory over the Indians on Wednesday night.

Chicago’s offense climbed to sixth in OPS (.783) following their 7-1 victory over Cleveland on Tuesday evening – their first game action since Thursday following their weekend series postponement with the Cardinals. Jason Heyward homered twice in that affair, while Ian Happ brought his team-leading batting average up to .325 following another two-hit game. This lineup won’t shrink from Carlos Carrasco (2-0, 2.50 ERA in 2020) or any other starter right now.

Meanwhile, it was another anemic offensive showing for the Indians in defeat on Tuesday. They’re currently dead-last in both batting average (.192) and OPS (.598) heading into this contest. Hendricks must be licking his chops following a high-quality start against Royals in which he allowed just two runs over seven innings of work. The Cubs’ bullpen is trending in the right direction, as they’re 12th by opponent batting average this month at .214.

MLB free pick: Cubs moneyline 

Tampa Bay Rays (10-8) at Boston Red Sox (6-11), 7:30 p.m. ET

The Rays are riding high after breaking out for eight runs in each of their first two games against the Red Sox. Bettors should bank on another winning effort from Tampa Bay on Wednesday night.

Blake Snell has pitched well in the few innings he’s been allowed in 2020 – he’s hopeful he’ll go a little further than three frames on Wednesday on the heels of a busy night for the bullpen that tallied 26 outs following starter Andrew Kittredge’s early exit.

Snell has excelled against Red Sox since 2018, going 4-0 over six starts with a 1.38 ERA. Xander Bogaerts and Mitch Moreland, two of Boston’s better batsmen in 2020, are a combined 2-for-35 (.057) all-time against the southpaw from Seattle.

Zack Godley counters for the Red Sox, and he’s sandwiched one dreadful outing against the Yankees (five runs allowed over 3 1/3 innings) with two scoreless four-inning ones. Even if the scrap-heap pickup pitches well again, he’ll have to turn things over to the shaky Boston bullpen (21st by ERA at 4.85) sooner or later. Look for Rays outfielder Manuel Margot, who has six hits in the first two games of this series, to be a factor once more.

MLB free pick: Rays moneyline