The Chicago Cubs are red hot and have scored a total of 42 runs through four straight victories. Here they'll face James Shields (1-3, 5.14 ERA) who is coming off back-to-back quality starts against the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins, but the Cubs are just something different when swinging hot bats. The right-hander had allowed 11 runs through 11 1/3 innings of work against Houston and Seattle prior to that and White Sox are 0-6 in Shields' last six starts vs. a team with a winning record. The Cubs turn to left-hander Jon Lester (2-1, 2.82 ERA) who has not allowed an earned run in three of his first seven games. White Sox are 1-6 in their last seven interleague games vs. a left-handed starter.

The Cubs are 20-15 on the season, and note that 17 of those victories came as favorites and they're 13-4 against the runline in those games.

8* play on Chicago Cubs -1.5.