The Miami Marlins will look to bolster their win total and reward moneyline bettors when the Chicago Cubs invade Marlins Park on Thursday.

Miami sends Ricky Nolasco out against Jeff Samardzija for the Cubs in this game. Nolasco is 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA on the season, while Samardzija is 2-0 on the year and has a 3.95 ERA.



View Chi Cubs vs Miami Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had installed the Marlins as -175 moneyline favorites in this particular MLB matchup. The total, meanwhile, was set early at 7.5 before betting started to move the line.

Power Rankings:
The Marlins sit at No. 12 in the National League in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Cubs sit at a National League No. 4 on the same chart.



How They Match Up:
Rating these teams in several key categories is important for handicappers and Miami has the National League's No. 7-rated offensive output, at 8.8 hits per game. The Cubs average 7.6 hits per game, good for No. 12 on the National League list.

Miami owns the National League's No. 7 defense, allowing 3.8 men per game to cross the plate. That contrasts with Chicago's National League No. 14-rated defense.

Last time out for Chicago, they were a 9-1 loser as they battled the Marlins on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Marlins at -130 were rewarded, while the 10 combined runs moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Chicago didn't get the job done in their last match, falling 9-1 to Miami on Wednesday at Marlins Park.




Chicago Cubs Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Cincinnati are 7-3
After playing Miami are 5-5
After a loss are 3-7

Miami Marlins Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
Before playing Washington are 7-3
After playing Chi Cubs are 6-4
After a win are 3-7

A few Cubs at Marlins trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi Cubs' last 7 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs' last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs' last 6 games when playing Miami
Miami is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


Next up:
Chi Cubs home to Cincinnati, Friday, April 20
Miami at Washington, Friday, April 20