After rallying for a 5-4, 10-inning win in the series opener and in light of collecting 13 hits in a 11-6 triumph on Saturday, the Chicago Cubs will look to head into the all-star break with a series sweep of the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Sportsbooks opened the Cubbies as -136 road favorites with a total of 8.
- The Cubs are 5-0 SU in Lester's last five road starts.
- The Padres are 0-4 SU in their last four home games.
- The UNDER is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between the Cubs and Padres.
Lester aiming to begin a new winning streak
Jon Lester and Eric Lauer are slated to get the ball for Cubs and Padres, respectively. Lester (11-2, 2.45 ERA) saw his seven-start winning streak come to an end last Sunday when he allowed four runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision vs Cincinnati. The 34-year-old was named to his fifth all-star team but will be unavailable for the game after he starts Sunday’s contest. Lester is 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA in five career starts vs San Diego.
Lauer (5-5, 4.40) recorded the best start of his career last Tuesday when he allowed one run and four hits along with eight strikeouts over 8 2/3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The rookie entered June with a bloated 7.67 ERA but has posted a 2.17 mark over his past eight starts covering 46 1/3 innings.
Cubs have enjoyed plenty of success in San Diego
When the Cubs have traveled to the Golden State, they’ve been a great wager in recent history. The Cubs are 7-3 SU in their past 10 visits to Petco Park. Overall, Chicago is 4-1 in the last five games against San Diego. In their previous 26 games overall, the Padres are 6-20 SU.
UNDER trending when Lauer gets the ball
Lauer has been an UNDER machine of late, as the UNDER is 5-2 in his past seven starts. The UNDER is also 6-2 in the last eight matchups between the teams. Based off those trends, expect the UNDER to get plenty of action at sportsbooks today.
