The defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs has been very mediocre in front of their home fans so far this season. There is a good chance the city will forgive them for the slow start. Chicago will look to finish off their home series with the New York Yankees off on a high note on Sunday Night Baseball. The Cubs split their first 14 home games. Chicago posted the best home record in the majors with 57 wins a year ago en route to a World Series championship. After a slow start, the Cubs certainly have some work to do heading in to Sunday night’s matchup.
Details
Date: May 7th, 2017.
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Line: Chicago -140
Why The Yankees Might Win….
The Yankees were supposed to be rebuilding this season. However, New York has looked like a legitimate contender this season with an 18-9 record through its first 27 games. Brett Gardner lifted the Yankees to a 3-2 win over Chicago on Friday night with a ninth-inning home run. He isn’t the only pinstripes hitter that has delivered this season. Aaron Judge has led the way with 13 home runs this season. At this pace, it won’t be a surprise if he hits 40 or more this season. Meanwhile, Starlin Castro, Chase Headley and Aaron Hicks have all been extremely effective for New York. The Yankees have scored the third-most runs in the majors this season so their offense is clearly capable of producing on Sunday night in Chicago. Perhaps the bigger surprise is the performance of New York’s starting rotation. The Yankees staff ranks first in the majors in WHIP and third in ERA. Luis Severino is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA. Severino is coming off his worst start of the season after giving up five earned runs against the Toronto Blue Jays. If Severino can bounce back he will give New York a chance to win on the road on Sunday night.
Why The Cubs Might Win….
Chicago will counter with Jon Lester, who will look to settle down after failing to go more than 5.1 innings in any of his last three starts. Lester was hit hard in back-to-back starts against the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates, giving up 10 earned runs over 10.2 innings of work. Lester bounced back with a better performance in his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies but he still wasn’t dominant.
The good news for the Cubs is that Lester has been a lot better at home where he has produced a 1.50 ERA in three starts this season. Meanwhile, Chicago’s offense has heated up. The Cubs have the fourth-best OBP in the majors and rank seventh in runs scored. Kris Bryant has led the way hitting .322 with six home runs and 16 RBI. Consistency will be the key for the rest of Chicago’s lineup as they continue to work their way back in to form after what could be considered a World Series hangover. The Cubs have one of the deepest and most talented lineup in baseball so they could make things tough on Severino on Sunday night.
Outlook
Chicago has hovered around the .500 mark at home so far this season. However, considering their talent on both sides of the ball, it is only a matter of time before they start to produce. Lester has been at his best at home so far this year, so we are banking on a strong performance from him on Sunday Night Baseball. While the Yankees have a .289 batting average against Lester over the last three years, he is 2-1 against him and he’s only allowed five earned runs against them in his last 19.1 innings pitched.
Meanwhile, the Yankees have been excellent so far this season. However, Severino is coming off his worst start and if the Cubs lineup gets to him early this could be a long night for New York.
The Cubs come in at a decent price, even though we’re going against the grain. They opened at -140 but are down to -123 and that’s a reasonable price to get in at .
Pick: Chicago -123
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