The Miami Marlins (4-15) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (11-7) on Thursday, April 18th. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on MARQ. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Marlins are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Diamondbacks. First pitch is set for 7:40 ET.

Marlins vs Cubs

The Marlins will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Giants with a 3-1 loss. This was Miami’s third straight loss, and they scored just one run in each of those games. Bryan De La Cruz’s homer in the 2nd inning was the Marlins’ only run. They had just six hits and didn’t have any timely hitting as they went 1/8 with runners in scoring position.

Trevor Rogers got the start for the Marlins and took the loss. He only lasted 5 2/3 innings, giving up just one earned run, but the Marlins offense scored just one run. Declan Cronin was charged with the loss out of the bullpen. He only pitched 1/3 of an inning, but the Giants scored the go-ahead run in the 8th while he was on the mound.

Miami is really struggling this season, as they have a record of 4-15 heading into today’s game in Chicago. The Marlins are on a six-game series losing streak and have yet to win a series this season. In the NL East, they are in 5th place and trail the Braves by nine games.

When playing at home, the Marlins are 2-11 compared to 2-4 on the road. Miami got a win in their most recent game vs. the Giants. This came after dropping four straight. So far, they have been the favorite seven times and have yet to win one of those games (0-7).

The Marlins have been a better bet on the run line as the underdog this season, going 6-6. They are 3-3 against the run line on the road, and they have covered in two straight games. Miami’s average run differential on the season is -1.8 runs per game, but that number jumps to -3.5 in their losses.

The Miami Marlins have played 19 games this season, and their over/under record is 11-8. The average over/under line in their games this season has been 8 runs, and their games have had an average of 9.2 runs per game. The over/under line for today’s game against the Chicago Cubs is set at 7.5 runs. In their last 10 games, the Marlins have had over/under lines set at 8.0 or higher 90% of the time.

A.J. Puk Gets The Start For The Marlins

Today, A.J. Puk and the Marlins are on the road to take on the Cubs. Puk has taken the loss in each of his first 3 starts, but he has been able to rack up the strikeouts, as he has 12 through 10 2/3 innings of work. He has given up a total of 10 hits and 3 walks in his first 3 starts.

Marlins Offense Breakdown

Looking at the Marlins’ player projections for today, we have Luis Arraez as our top projected hitter in terms of total hits for not only the Marlins but in the entire league. Jesús Sánchez is our top projected home run hitter for the Marlins, and his home run projection is 7th best in the league today. Josh Bell is 9th in the league in terms of home run projections.

Cody Bellinger had a big game for the Cubs in their most recent win, going 2/4 with a homer and two RBIs. The Cubs really needed his offense, as they were coming off a 3-1 loss to the Diamondbacks. Chicago was the +109 underdog on the road going into this matchup.

Jordan Wicks got the start for the Cubs, going 4 1/3 innings, and picked up the win. He gave up just two runs on five hits and issued only one walk. The Cubs’ bullpen was also solid, as they only allowed one run over the final 4 2/3 innings.

With an overall record of 11-7, the Cubs are 2nd in the NL Central, just a half-game behind the Brewers. Today, the Cubs are at home, taking on the Marlins. Looking at their series record, the Cubs have gone 4-2 so far and have won each of their last two series.

When playing during the day, the Cubs have been good this season, going 7-3. At home, they are 5-1 compared to 6-6 on the road. Chicago just got done with a series vs. the Diamondbacks, which they won taking the series 2-1.

The Cubs are 13-5 vs. the run line this season, including a 9-3 mark on the road. They have covered the run line in four of six home games this season. Their average run margin is +0.8 runs per game, and they have covered the run line in 10 of 14 games as the underdog.

Chicago Cubs games have been averaging 10.4 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 9-9. The over/under line for today’s game against the Miami Marlins is set at 7.5 runs. So far this season, 72.2% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 7.5 runs. In their most recent game, the Cubs and Diamondbacks combined for 5 runs, which was under the 9.0 run over/under line.

Jameson Taillon Gets The Start For The Cubs

Jameson Taillon is coming off a season in which he made 29 starts and finished with a record of 8-10. His ERA for the season was 4.84, and he finished the year with nine quality starts. Taillon’s WHIP for the season was 1.28, and he finished the year with an average of 8.16 strikeouts per nine innings. His walks per nine innings average was 2.39, and he finished the season with a total of 27 home runs allowed.

Cubs Offense Breakdown

The Cubs have some interesting home run projections today, with Christopher Morel having the highest odds on the team to hit one, and his odds are 8th best in the league. Garrett Cooper is 2nd on the team in terms of home run odds, and his odds are 9th best in the league. Cody Bellinger is 3rd on the team in terms of home run odds.

Marlins vs Cubs Prediction

Our prediction for this Marlins vs. Cubs matchup is that the Cubs will come out on top by a final score of 6-5. Given that they are at home, we like the Cubs to win straight up, and with a money line payout of -152, that is the way we recommend playing this one.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have A.J. Puk lasting around five innings, and he is projected to finish with four strikeouts. As for the Cubs, they are predicted to finish with eight strikeouts, and they have a higher home run projection than the Marlins.

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.