Taking the first in an all-important series with the Brewers, the Cubs moved their magic number to 6 and are once again looking like the World Series-winning club they were last season. For Milwaukee, the pressure is cranked up every time they lose. The Brewers are one game back of the final wild-card spot and any loss seriously affects their chances of sneaking into the postseason.
While the Brewers have been a great home team almost all season, they’ve dropped three straight to the Cubs at Miller Park and they’ve had a bit of trouble against John Lackey, the Cubbies starter this evening. The 38-year-old major-league vet owns a 3.79 ERA against the Brew Crew this season and has been excellent ever since the Midsummer Classic.
Milwaukee will call upon rookie hurler Brandon Woodruff (2-2, 3.28 ERA) in the must-win contest for his first career start against the NL Central-leading Cubs. The youngster has been an excellent addition to the Brewers pitching staff and should give them a decent shot at an upset tonight.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
The visiting Chicago Cubs were -128 moneyline favorites in this one earlier in the day at most online sportsbooks including Sportsbook. The total was 9 at Sportsbook for those preferring OVER/UNDER betting.
Prediction-scoring formulas run on this game pick a potential 4.8-2.9 result in favor of the Cubs. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming MLB matchups here.
Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Milwaukee Brewers bring a 81-72 record to the battle against the 85-67 Cubs. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Milwaukee vs Chicago injuries news.
This game matches up the No. 5 (Milwaukee Brewers) and the No. 11 (Chicago Cubs) teams, according to our current MLB Power Rankings.
Statistical Matchup
On offense, it's a battle between the Milwaukee Brewers and their No. 21-rated batting order, averaging 4.55 runs per nine innings, against the No. 5 lineup of the Chicago Cubs at 5.07 runs per outing.
Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping betting factors and Milwaukee has the No. 8-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Cubs own the No. 11 mark in runs allowed.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Chicago won a close affair on Thursday in their last outing, defeating Milwaukee 5-3 in extra innings at Miller Park.
Next Betting Matchups
Chicago at Milwaukee, Saturday, September 23