The Chicago Cubs (38-44) travel to face off against the Milwaukee Brewers (48-33) on Friday, June 28th. This game will be played at American Family Field in Milwaukee and televised on MARQ. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 7:10 CT.
Cubs vs Brewers
Nico Hoerner and the Cubs are coming off a big game vs. the Giants to close out their series. Hoerner went 3/5 with a homer and two RBIs. The Cubs really broke things open with a three-run 3rd inning. Looking at the betting lines going into the game, the Cubs were the slight underdog at -110.
Shota Imanaga started for the Cubs, going six innings and giving up three runs on five hits. He only had three strikeouts in the outing and got the win.
Chicago is 5th in the NL Central with a record of 38-44, putting them 10.5 games behind the Brewers for the division lead. So far, they have gone just 9-17 in divisional games. The Cubs are on the road today, and they are 16-26 as the road underdog this season.
The Cubs have dropped two straight series, losing 3-1 to the Giants in their most recent series. Heading into today’s game, the Cubs are 4-6 across their last 10 games. This year, they are an even 20-20 as the favorite.
When the Cubs win, they win big, with an average run margin of +2.9 runs per game. But when they lose, they lose big, with an average run margin of -3.1 runs per game. Overall, the Cubs have a run line record of 39-43, but they are 24-18 against the run line on the road, where they have a scoring margin of -0.9 runs per game.
Today’s game between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers has an over/under line of 8.5 runs. The Cubs have played in 23 games this season where the over/under line was set at 8.5 runs, and their record in those games is 9-7. Overall, the Cubs have an over/under record of 35-44 on the season, and their games have averaged a combined 8.6 runs per game.
Jameson Taillon Gets The Start For The Cubs
Jameson Taillon gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces off against the Brewers on the road. He has made 12 starts this year and has a record of 4-3 with an ERA of 2.90. Taillon’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.27. In his last outing, he picked up the win, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run on six hits. Looking back further, he has given up at least two earned runs in three straight starts. The right-hander has made six quality starts this year. Per nine innings, Taillon is averaging 6.98 strikeouts and just 2.11 walks.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Cubs offense has been below average, averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .230, which is 19th in the league, and their slugging percentage of .369 is also 21st in the MLB.
Christopher Morel has been the Cubs’ top power hitter this season, as his 15 home runs is 10th in the league. However, he is batting just .201. Ian Happ has also struggled with a batting average of .228, but his 10 homers is 2nd on the team, and he has gone deep three times over his last 10 games, while driving in nine runs.
Jackson Chourio had a big game at the plate for the Brewers in their most recent game vs. the Rangers, going 2/4 with a homer and a run scored. The Brewers really needed his offense, as they only won the game by one run, and he drove in a run with his homer in thejson 3rd. Milwaukee also got a big game from Jake Bauers, going 1/4 with a homer and four RBIs.
Dallas Keuchel got the start for the Brewers, going four innings and giving up five runs on eight hits. He also issued three walks and took the loss. The Brewers’s bullpen was excellent, though, as they didn’t give up a run after Keuchel exited the game.
Milwaukee will host the Cubs today with an overall record of 48-33, and they lead the NL Central by 6.5 games over the Cardinals. The Brewers are riding a four-game winning streak, and they have gone 18-9 against other teams in the NL Central.
At home, the Brewers have gone 25-12 this season, and they are just over .500 at 23-21 on the road. Milwaukee has won five straight games at home, and they are 19-7 as the home favorite this year. As for their overall record as the favorite, the Brewers are 27-15 and 21-18 as the underdog.
When the Brewers win, they tend to do so by a comfortable margin, as their average run differential in victories is +3.4. When they lose, it’s usually by a narrow margin, as their average run differential in losses is -2.8. For the season, Milwaukee is 43-38 against the run line, and they have covered the run line in three straight games. They are 18-19 vs. the run line at home and 25-19 vs. the run line on the road. As the underdog, they are 26-13 vs. the run line, while as the favorite, they are 17-25.
In games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, the Brewers have gone over the total in 21 of 35 contests, with their games averaging a combined 8.8 runs per game. Overall, Milwaukee’s over/under record is 44-34 on the season.
Colin Rea Gets The Start For The Brewers
Milwaukee is sending right-hander Colin Rea to the mound today vs. the Cubs. He has made 13 starts this season and has a record of 6-2 with an ERA of 3.62. Rea’s WHIP for the season is 1.24. In his 13 starts, he has turned in five quality starts and is averaging 5.93 strikeouts per nine innings. Rea has been much better at home, coming in with a record of 4-1 and an ERA of 2.78. At home, he has allowed 12 home runs compared to just two on the road. Rea’s last outing came on June 21st, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Brewers Offense Breakdown
William Contreras and Willy Adames have been the Brewers’ top power threats this season, with Contreras having gone deep nine times and Adames leading the team with 13 homers. Adames is also 9th in the league in RBIs, while his 54 RBIs are the top mark on the Brewers. Rhys Hoskins is also a threat to go deep, as he has 11 homers, but he is batting just .221.
Over his last eight games, Brice Turang has gone 11/35, with seven RBIs. Jake Bauers is also swinging a hot bat, having gone 5/13 with five RBIs over his last eight games. Rhys Hoskins has also gone deep in this stretch, but he is just 6/25 in his last seven games.
Cubs vs Brewers Prediction
There is a lot of value on the money line in this Brewers vs. Cubs matchup, and we have the Brewers coming out on top by a score of 5-4. At -136, there is a good amount of value in taking the Brewers on the money line, as our model gives them closer to a 60% chance of winning this one.
Looking at some potential starting pitcher props, we have Jameson Taillon finishing with just four strikeouts, which is the sixth lowest among today’s starters. As for Colin Rea, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which has him in the bottom half of today’s starters.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 28, 2024 Brewers, Cubs