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Cubs vs. Rangers Player Prop Predictions, Odds: Top Picks for Justin Steele, Nathan Eovaldi

Andrew Brennan

Last Updated: March 28, 2024 1:28 PM EDT • 3 min 41 sec read.

Nathan Eovaldi of the Texas Rangers pitches in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game 5 of the World Series, and we offer our top Cubs vs. Rangers player props based on the best MLB odds.
Nathan Eovaldi of the Texas Rangers pitches in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game 5 of the World Series. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images via AFP.

Major League Baseball's Opening Day features a clash between the reigning World Series champions and a potential dark-horse candidate for 2024, and we're offering our top Cubs vs. Rangers player props based on the best MLB odds.

The Texas Rangers will raise their 2023 World Series banner on Opening Day, and they'll kick off their hopeful title defense with a home game against the Chicago Cubs. Right-hander Nate Eovaldi takes the hill, and he's expected to throw the first pitch from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, at 7:35 p.m. ET, with the game being broadcast on ESPN.

Based on our breakdown of the latest World Series odds, Texas is a real contender to go back-to-back. The Rangers are -115 moneyline favorites to get off to a 1-0 start on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Cubs represent a favorite among those looking for a potential dark horse this season, as they feature plenty of talent, both on offense and with their pitching. 

Chicago will look to improve upon its 83-79 record from 2023 this season following some intriguing offseason moves. Based on our MLB projected win totals, Chicago is expected to emerge victorious from at least a couple of additional games compared to 2023.

Here are our best Cubs vs. Rangers player prop predictions and MLB picks (odds via our best MLB betting sites; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Cubs vs. Rangers game info & odds

  • When: Thursday, March 28
  • First pitch: 7:35 p.m. ET
  • Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
  • How to watch: ESPN
  • Favorite: Rangers (-115 via bet365)

Cubs vs. Rangers player props

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Cubs vs. Rangers predictions

Justin Steele Under 5.5 strikeouts (-145 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

Cubs ace Justin Steele finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting during 2023, and he's a contender to win the 2024 award based on our MLB Cy Young odds.

Steele managed 9.14 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023, which was a marginal drop from his average during the hurler's first two major-league campaigns. He racked up 20 quality starts in 2023, which led to plenty of six-plus-strikeout efforts.

However, managers tend to be more cautious with starting pitchers during their first couple of turns through the rotation, and the left-hander was forced to exit a spring training game only one week ago after taking a comebacker off his leg.

Additionally, that doesn't even account for the danger Steele will face while taking on one of the most lethal lineups in baseball.

Pinnacle, which features one of the most respected trading teams in the sports betting industry, opened with Under 5.5 strikeouts priced at -146. It's since been bet to -176.

Caesars is already as short as -170, and the rest of our best sports betting sites are hovering around -155, making these odds at bet365 valuable by comparison.

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Nathan Eovaldi Under 5.5 strikeouts (-115 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

Nathan Eovaldi endured a bit of an up-and-down first regular season with the Rangers in 2023. He pitched well until an injury cut his campaign short, leaving him to finish with just 144 innings.

However, perhaps that break was just what he needed, as Eovaldi was an absolute monster for Texas throughout its World Series run. He went 5-0 in the playoffs, racking up strikeouts at a far greater rate than during the regular season. But Playoff Nate is an entirely different beast.

Eovaldi managed just 8.25 K/9 during the 2023 regular season, and we're already seeing action on the Under for his Opening Day strikeouts prop. The reasons for our play on the Under are very similar to those we shared for our Steele pick.

Pinnacle opened with the Under priced at -104, but it's since been bet to -134. Among our best sports betting apps, all of DraftKings, BetMGM, and bet365 are featuring Under 5.5 strikeouts priced at -115. Therefore, be sure to use one of our best sportsbook promos to get those enticing odds for this prop.

Christopher Morel Over 0.5 total bases (-150 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

Christopher Morel was one of the breakout stars for the Cubs in 2023. After initially being relegated to the minors, Morel made the most of his chance when the Cubs called him up. He mashed 26 home runs across just 107 games while spending time at second base, third base, shortstop, the outfield, and serving as the team's designated hitter.

He also fared much better on the road than at Wrigley Field, managing a .859 OPS and 130 wRC+ in opposing ballparks.

The Over on Morel's total bases prop opened at -139 through Pinnacle, but it was quickly smashed to -160. Once again, Caesars is offering the shortest price among our best sportsbooks with its -167 odds on the Over. Meanwhile, DraftKings is close with its -155 price.

If you want to get the best odds on this prop, be sure to use our exclusive bet365 bonus code: SBRBONUS, and if you want to parlay these three picks together, you can get a 50% boost on a three-plus-leg SGP at bet365!

Cubs-Rangers player props made Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
Andrew Brennan
Andrew Brennan is a publishing editor for Sportsbook Review. He's been a Boston Red Sox fan for over 20 years and a Liverpool supporter for nearly a decade. He's probably watching, talking about, or thinking about sports while you read this.