The Milwaukee Brewers are ready to face their division rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. NBC Sports Chicago will be televising the action and the opening pitch is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs Odds
The Cubs are 12-10 SU and 11-10 ATS. They’ve lost 4.3 units for bettors taking the moneyline while earning 1.4 units against the spread (ATS). The Brewers are 16-10 SU and have gone 15-10 ATS. Overall, the team’s accumulated 7.5 units for gamblers taking the moneyline in the season’s early going and 4.8 units ATS.
Cubs games have an over/under record of 11-10 so far in 2018. The Brewers have an over/under record of 10-15.
Brent Suter will get the start for the visiting Brewers. The left-handed Suter is 1-2 with a 5.68 ERA and 19 strikeouts. He’s 0-1 with five strikeouts and a 7.20 ERA against Chicago this year (two starts).
The Cubs are putting the ball in the right hand of Yu Darvish (0-2, 6.86 ERA), who has 21 strikeouts and 11 walks this season as well as a 1.63 WHIP. Darvish is 0-0 with nine strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA in one start against Milwaukee this year.
Chicago’s pitchers have allowed 4.2 runs per game overall in 2018 as a unit. Its starting pitching staff has a 4.68 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 2.76 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 9.0 K/9. In 11 games against divisional opponents, Cubs starters have an ERA of 2.73 and the bullpen’s ERA is 4.15.
The Chicago offense has produced 5.5 runs per contest, including 4.6 per game against divisional foes and 4.6 per game over its last five. The team has hit .264/.319/.420 over its last five matchups and is 3-2 SU during that span.
The Cubs’ batters have been led by second baseman Javier Baez and third baseman Kris Bryant. Baez is hitting .310/.370/.714 with seven home runs, 24 RBIs and 19 runs scored, and Bryant’s line is .319/.467/.536 with 22 hits, 11 RBIs and 12 runs.
Baez performed well against left-handed pitchers at home last season, slashing .358/.397/.679 across 58 such plate appearances (his total season line was .273/.317/.480).
In the other dugout, Milwaukee’s pitching staff allowed 3.6 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 3.74 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 6.62 K/9. The bullpen has logged an outstanding ERA of just 2.45, along with a K/9 of 10.60.
Brewers hitters have slashed .245/.316/.395 on their way to 4.0 runs scored per game in 2018, including 2.5 runs per game against divisional foes and 4.2 per game over the team’s last five contests (4-1 SU).
Milwaukee’s hitters have been led by Eric Thames and Travis Shaw, who’ve collectively blasted 12 home runs. Thames is hitting .250/.351/.625 with seven home runs, 13 RBIs and 11 runs scored, while Shaw is slashing .274/.367/.516 with five homers, 14 RBIs and 17 runs scored.
The Brewers have gained 6.5 units and are 11-7 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in seven of those games, as opposed to 11 that’ve gone under against righties. On the other hand, the Cubs have lost 2.3 units and are 3-3 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher. The over’s hit in two of those games, compared to four that’ve cashed the under.
Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs MLB Tip
Predictions: SU Winner – Cubs, ATS Winner – Brewers, O/U – OVER
Notes
Betting Trends
The over has cashed in only two of Milwaukee’s last seven games.
The Cubs have won three of their last four games SU.
The Milwaukee defense has allowed four errors over the last 10 games, compared to 11 errors for Chicago over its last 10.
The Brewers have hit 12 home runs in their last 10 games. The Cubs have hit 11 over their last 10.
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