The Chicago Cubs will be taking on the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The game gets underway 1:35 p.m. ET and WGN will be televising this NL matchup.
Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies Odds
Vegas is listing Chicago (+135) as the underdog to Philadelphia (-145). The total is sitting at 7.5 runs and bettors can wager on the over for -120 and the under for even money (+100). Gamblers can also bet on the game’s runline with the odds coming in at Cubs +1.5 runs (-160) and Phillies -1.5 runs (+140).
The Cubs are 80-55 SU and are 68-66 against the spread (ATS). The team hasn’t moved the needle very much this year, gaining 3.5 units for moneyline bettors and 1.6 units ATS. The Phillies, on the other hand, are 72-63 SU and 66-68 ATS. They’ve gained 7.8 units for bettors taking the moneyline while gaining 10.7 units ATS.
Philadelphia games have an over/under record of 59-70-5 in 2018. Chicago has also been a good under bet with a total record of 59-72-3.
The southpaw Jon Lester is projected to start for the visiting Cubs. Lester (14-5, 3.67 ERA) has racked up 119 punchouts in 152 innings so far. He has yet to face the Phillies this year and only made one start against them in 2017 (1-0, 3.60 ERA and five strikeouts across five innings).
The Phillies are putting the ball in the right hand of Aaron Nola (15-3, 2.10 ERA), who has 177 strikeouts and 47 walks this season as well as a 0.97 WHIP. Nola is 0-0 with six strikeouts and a 4.50 ERA in one start against Chicago this year.
Chicago’s pitchers have allowed 4.0 runs per game and its starters own a 3.98 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 7.64 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.21, along with a K/9 of 8.64.
The Cubs offense has slashed .263/.342/.421 on its way to 4.8 runs scored per game in 2018, including 5.4 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 3.6 per game over the team’s last five contests (3-2 SU).
Chicago’s offense has been powered by second baseman Javier Baez and first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who’ve collectively blasted 51 home runs. Baez is slashing .298/.330/.573 with 29 home runs, 99 RBIs, 83 runs and 21 stolen bases, while Rizzo (.277/.372/.471) is up to 22 homers, 86 RBIs and 60 runs scored.
For the home team, Philadelphia’s pitching staff has yielded 4.3 runs per game overall this year. Its starters have a 3.81 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 3.98 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 9.4 K/9.
Philadelphia’s hitters have produced 4.3 runs per outing, including 4.3 per game over its last 10 games and 3.6 per game over their last five. The team has a slash-line of .205/.273/.354 over its last five games and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
The Phillies’ hitters have been led by outfielder Odubel Herrera and second baseman Cesar Hernandez. Herrera is hitting .267/.321/.444 with 21 home runs, 65 RBIs and 58 runs scored, while Hernandez’s line is .253/.359/.355 with 11 homers, 42 RBIs, 82 runs and 17 stolen bases.
The Cubs have lost 0.7 units and are 52-53 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this season. The over has hit in 45 of those games, compared to 57 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Phillies have netted 1.0 units and are 15-17 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The over has hit in 15 of those games, compared to 16 that went under the total.
Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Phillies, ATS Winner – Cubs, O/U – OVER
Betting Trends
- The over has hit in four of Philadelphia’s last seven games.
- Philadelphia has posted 21.1 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 16.8 over its last five.
- Each team has hit 14 home runs over its last 10 games.
