The Chicago Cubs (19-12) travel to face off against the New York Mets (15-15) on Thursday, May 2nd. This game will be played at Citi Field in New York and televised on SNY. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Mets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cubs. First pitch is set for 1:10 ET.
Cubs vs Mets
Chicago picked up a 1-0 road win over the Mets in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had just five hits in the game but got the only run they needed in the 5th inning. As for the Mets, they wasted a good outing from Jose Butto, who gave up just one run in six innings of work.
Shota Imanaga started for the Cubs and picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with seven strikeouts but issued a costly walk. Hector Neris got the save out of the bullpen.
Nico Hoerner was the only Cubs hitter to have more than one hit, as he went 2/3 with an RBI. Jeff McNeil had two hits for the Mets.
Chicago is on the road today vs. the Mets, with the Cubs holding a record of 19-12, putting them a half-game behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. So far, they have yet to play a game in the division. The Cubs have been good at home, going 10-3, and they are just above .500 at 9-9 on the road.
The Cubs have been good as the favorite this year, going 8-3, and they are 11-9 as the underdog. Chicago’s overall series record is 5-3-1, and they are 6-4 over their last 10 games, heading into today’s matchup vs. the Mets.
Chicago is 21-10 against the run line this season, including a 12-6 mark on the road. The Cubs have been a better bet as the underdog, going 15-5 against the run line. They have an average run margin of +0.5 runs per game this season.
Despite a combined run average of 9.2 runs per game, the Cubs have had a lower over/under line in 51.6% of their games this season. The over/under line for today’s game is 8.5 runs, and the Cubs have gone under in three straight games. Their over/under record for the season is 13-17, and they have gone over the line in 4 of the 7 games with an 8.5 run line.
Ben Brown Gets The Start For The Cubs
Through three starts, Ben Brown has a record of 0-1 and an ERA of 4.30 for the Cubs. He has made a total of seven appearances this season. Brown has a WHIP of 1.17 and batting average allowed of .247. The last time he took the mound, Brown was roughed up by the Red Sox, taking the loss after going just 3 2/3 innings and giving up three earned runs. He did bounce back with a quality start on April 15th, going six innings and giving up just one earned run. Brown has allowed a home run in two straight outings.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Chicago’s offense has been one of the league’s best home teams this season, averaging 5.8 runs per game. Overall, they are 7th in the league at 4.8 runs per contest. The Cubs have been a below-average hitting team this season, with a team batting average of just .236. However, they do have three players in the lineup with an on-base percentage of at least .320.
Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger are tied for the team lead in home runs, and Busch’s 17 RBIs are also tied for the top mark on the team. Nico Hoerner has yet to go deep this season but is batting .272 and has an OBP of .349. Over his last 10 games, Mike Tauchman is hitting .375 with three homers.
With a record of 15-15, the Mets are 5.5 games behind the Braves for the NL East lead. So far, they are 2-1 in divisional games and are currently in 3rd place in the division. New York is hosting the Cubs today and is looking to pick up a win after dropping four straight games.
The Mets have dropped four straight games, and this losing streak has come after losing three straight. New York is just 8-10 at home this season, compared to 7-5 on the road. As the underdog, the Mets have dropped five straight games and are 6-7 overall as the underdog. Their series record is 5-4 this year but have lost two straight series.
When the Mets win, they win by an average of 3.5 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.1 runs per game. Their overall run line record is 16-14, and they are 8-10 at home. They are 8-4 on the road against the run line.
So far this season, the New York Mets have played in 30 games with an average combined run total of 8.3 runs per game. Their over/under record is 14-16, and their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, the Mets have gone 3-4. The under has hit in each of their last four games.
Adrian Houser Gets The Start For The Mets
Adrian Houser will be making his 5th start of the season for the Mets, and he has yet to pick up a win. He has gone 5 1/3 innings in each of his last two starts, and his 9 strikeouts are a season-high. However, he has given up 2 home runs in each of his last two outings, and he has taken the loss in each of his last two starts.
Mets Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Mets have been one of the better home run hitting teams in the league, but they are batting just .237 as a team, which is 15th in the league. New York’s team on-base percentage and slugging percentage are also just around the league average. One thing to keep an eye on is their batting average on balls in play, as they are just 20th in the league in this category.
Over his last 10 games, Francisco Lindor has three home runs, but he is still batting just .195 for the season. Pete Alonso is batting just .228 for the season and has gone deep eight times so far this year. Jeff McNeil is currently on a four-game hitting streak and is batting .270 over his last 10 games.
Cubs vs Mets Prediction
Our pick for today’s Cubs vs. Mets matchup is to take the Cubs on the money line, with the payout currently sitting at -105. We actually have the Cubs winning this one by a score of 5-4.
Looking at some of the starting pitcher’s projections, Adrian Houser is projected to finish with just four strikeouts, which ranks him seventh among starters. As for Ben Brown, he is projected to finish with four as well, which is third worst among starters.
Offensively, we have the Cubs finishing with nine total hits, which is the seventh most in the league today. As for the Mets, they are projected to finish with eight hits, which is the eighth most.
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:May 2, 2024 Cubs, Mets