Chicago Cubs vs Boston Red Sox Game 2 Picks and Prediction for Friday September 25 2026

The Chicago Cubs visit the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday, September 25, 2026, for Game 2 of their doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 PM ET with coverage on ESPN Unlimited and MLB.TV. Chicago enters the day at 87-71 overall and 42-36 on the road, while Boston is 85-73 overall and 39-38 at home. The Cubs are second in the NL Central and have dropped two straight games, while the Red Sox sit third in the AL East after snapping a three-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory over Cleveland. This series marks the first meeting between the clubs this season, and the records and recent results referenced here are from before Friday's opening game of the doubleheader. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free MLB picks for more MLB predictions throughout the season.

Starting Pitchers

Chicago is scheduled to start Clay Holmes, who enters at 6-8 with a 3.25 ERA and 1.16 WHIP through 97 innings. He has allowed only 74 hits and six home runs while recording 75 strikeouts against 39 walks. Boston counters with Jake Bennett, who is 9-7 with a 3.78 ERA and an impressive 1.10 WHIP through 109.2 innings. He has surrendered 101 hits and 12 home runs while striking out 90 and walking only 20. Both starters have done a good job limiting traffic, but they have reached that point differently. Chicago owns the lower ERA and has been especially difficult to hit, while Boston's starter has shown considerably better control. With neither pitcher carrying a WHIP above 1.16, the starting matchup points toward fewer early scoring opportunities than the Game 1 pitching situation.

Chicago Brings the Bigger Offensive Ceiling

Chicago enters Friday with an 87-71 record and has played well enough away from home to post a 42-36 road mark. The Cubs have lost their last two games, falling 3-2 and 8-2 to Miami, but those defeats followed consecutive road victories over Cincinnati by scores of 9-1 and 5-2. Chicago is 2-3 over its last five games and has scored 22 runs during that stretch. The offense has shown the ability to erupt, but the Cubs have also been held to two runs in each of their last two contests.

The season-long offensive statistics strongly favor Chicago. The Cubs are batting .251 with 839 runs, 1,365 hits and 217 home runs. They have produced a .339 on-base percentage and .430 slugging percentage. Chicago's pitching staff owns a 4.17 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 1,236 strikeouts against 485 walks while opponents are batting .244. The Cubs have also gone 34-32 in day games, although Game 2 shifts them into an evening setting after playing earlier Friday.

Chicago's primary advantage is its ability to create damage beyond simply stringing together singles. The Cubs have hit 55 more home runs than Boston and have scored 158 more runs over the course of the season. Their .430 slugging percentage is also 29 points better than Boston's .401 mark. That gives Chicago the higher offensive ceiling, but the matchup is considerably tougher when facing a starter carrying a 1.10 WHIP and just 20 walks over 109.2 innings.

Boston's Pitching Keeps the Red Sox Dangerous

Boston begins Friday at 85-73 overall and 39-38 at Fenway Park. The Red Sox are 2-3 over their last five games, with Wednesday's 1-0 win over Cleveland ending a three-game losing streak. Boston's recent offensive production has been limited, as the Red Sox have scored only nine runs across those five games. However, they have also allowed only 12 runs during that stretch, keeping themselves competitive through run prevention even when the offense has struggled.

The Red Sox are batting .247 with 681 runs, 1,306 hits and 162 home runs while posting a .320 on-base percentage and .401 slugging percentage. Boston's pitching numbers are much stronger. The staff has compiled a 3.56 ERA and 1.24 WHIP while limiting opponents to a .241 batting average. The Red Sox have recorded 1,370 strikeouts against 460 walks, giving them both a lower ERA and substantially more strikeouts than Chicago's pitching staff.

Boston's path to winning Game 2 is therefore much different from Chicago's. The Red Sox probably do not want this turning into a high-scoring exchange against a Cubs offense that has been substantially more productive throughout the season. Their advantage comes from pitching, and the scheduled Game 2 starter fits that profile. Boston's ability to limit walks could be particularly important against a Chicago offense carrying a .339 OBP. If the Red Sox can keep traffic off the bases and prevent Chicago from creating multi-run innings, this becomes a much more manageable matchup for the home team.

Chicago Cubs vs Boston Red Sox Picks and Prediction

Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline

Chicago gets a narrow lean in Game 2 because the Cubs combine the slightly stronger starting-pitching numbers with a significant season-long offensive advantage. Their scheduled starter enters with a 3.25 ERA and 1.16 WHIP while allowing only 74 hits and six home runs through 97 innings. Boston's starter has also been excellent at limiting baserunners, so this is hardly a mismatch on the mound. The separation comes offensively, where Chicago has scored 839 runs to Boston's 681, hit 217 home runs to Boston's 162 and owns advantages in batting average, OBP and slugging percentage. Boston's superior overall pitching staff keeps this close, but Chicago has more ways to manufacture the decisive runs in what projects as a competitive game.

Pick: Under 8.5 or Higher

Game 2 has a much stronger under profile than the opener because both scheduled starters have been effective at preventing baserunners. Chicago's starter owns a 3.25 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, while Boston's carries a 3.78 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. Boston has also scored just nine runs over its last five games, with four of those contests finishing with seven combined runs or fewer. Chicago has the offensive power to threaten the total, but Boston's season-long 3.56 staff ERA provides another reason to expect resistance. The doubleheader creates some bullpen uncertainty depending on what happens in Game 1, so the number matters. Under 8.5 or higher offers enough room for a game in which the starting pitching controls the early innings.

Final Picks: Chicago Cubs Moneyline and Under 8.5 or Higher

This preview was completed on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Starting pitchers, betting lines and other game information are subject to change before the game begins.