Jon Niese (3-2, 1.95 ERA) gets the ball for the New York Mets (20-14) as they meet Travis Wood (2-2, 4.96 ERA) and the Chicago Cubs (18-15) in the last of a four-game series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs won the last game 2-1 and Chicago can finish out the series sweep with a win in this game. The game gets underway at 2:20 p.m. ET on Thursday, May. 14 and will air on SNY and CSN-CHI.
Wood has a 3.34 ERA and a 2-1 record in his career against the Mets, and faces a struggling New York offense that’s hitting just .235 on the year. Anthony Rizzo (.333, 24 Rs, 7 HRs, 19 RBIs, 7 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday. In his pitching opportunities against the Cubs, Niese is 3-4 with a 5.16 ERA, 38 strikeouts and 16 walks. Lucas Duda (.289, 18 Rs, 3 HRs, 13 RBIs) went 1 for 2 yesterday.
Chicago is a -125 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. When playing as the favorite, the Cubs have a 10-8 record and overall money line at +110. They are 3-1 as the favorite over their last 10 games. The Cubs are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 30 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball. Chicago’s pitching staff performs very well on its own field, recording a low 3.06 team ERA at home. The Cubs are the best in the NL in hits allowed at home, giving up just 7.5 per game.
Across the field, the Mets have a subpar record of 5-11 when they are the underdog, but are +650 overall with the money line. Over the past 10 matchups, they are 4-6 SU and have a poor 0-4 record when they were an underdog to win. The Mets will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In their 10 most recent games, New York’s run production has dropped to 2.4 runs per game, compared to 4.2 for the duration of the season. Switching gears to New York’s pitching staff, they have the third-lowest road ERA in the NL at 3.57. They have a WHIP of 1.16, fourth best in the MLB.
So far this season, the Cubs are 3-0 against the Mets. Taking the hill against the Mets will be the left-hander Wood. They sport a 3-4 record against southpaws.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHC
Notes
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games.
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs’s last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs’s last 5 games when playing NY Mets.
Chi Cubs are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Mets.
Chi Cubs are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets.
The Mets lost their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Cubs are 9-6. The Mets are 7-6 in close games this season.
The Cubs are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Mets have a 4-5 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
It looks like the Cubs have a slight leg up on the Mets, as the Cubs have won their last three games while the Mets have lost their last three.
When they outhit their opponents, the Cubs are 11-2. The Mets have an 11-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 25th, New York sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 125 this season. Chicago ranks in the bottom half at 17th with 139.
Ranking 18th, New York is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 97 this season. Chicago ranks in the top five at fifth with 118.
When the Cubs hit at least one home run, they are 13-5. When the Mets hit at least one homer, they have a 12-4 record.
