The Miami Marlins (4-15) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (11-7) on Friday, April 19th. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on BSFL. 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 2:20 ET.

Marlins vs Cubs

Miami is coming off a game in which they wasted several good performances. In their 3-1 loss to the Giants, Trevor Rogers was excellent on the mound, allowing just one run while pitching into the 6th inning. They also got a big offensive performance from Bryan De La Cruz, going 2/4 with a homer.

Declan Cronin took the loss out of the bullpen for the Marlins, as Miami allowed two runs in the top of the 8th to blow their lead. Heading into this game, the Marlins were the slight favorite at -106 at home.

Marlins Struggle

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 losing streak in series matchups and are still looking for their first series win this season. In the NL East, they are in 5th place and trail the Braves by nine games.

Marlins Breakdown

When playing at home, the Marlins are 2-11 compared to 2-4 on the road. Miami is coming off a series loss to the Giants and, before that, dropped their series vs. the Braves. So far, they have yet to win a series at home (0-4).

The Marlins are 6-13 against the run line this season, including a 3-3 mark on the road. They have covered the run line in two straight road games and are 6-6 as the underdog. Miami’s average run differential is -1.8 runs per game, but it jumps to +4.2 in wins and -3.5 in losses.

The Miami Marlins have played 19 games this season with over/under lines set lower than today’s 9.5-run line, and the under has hit in 11 of those games. Their games have averaged 9.2 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 11-8 overall. When the over/under line has been set at 9.5 runs, the Marlins have not played any games to that high of a total this season.

A.J. Puk Gets The Start For The Marlins

After starting the season with a loss at home to the Pirates, A.J. Puk has taken the loss in both of his starts. He’ll be on the road against the Cubs today. In his first start, he went 4 innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs. Then, in his last outing, he went 4 2/3 innings, striking out 2 and giving up 1 earned run.

Marlins Offense Breakdown

For the Marlins, we have Jesús Sánchez with the highest home run projection on the team and the 8th best in the league today. Tim Anderson has the 2nd best total hits projection on the team and the 17th best in the league. Luis Arraez has the best total hits projection on the team and the 5th best in the league today. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is 2nd on the team in terms of home run projections.

Cody Bellinger had a big game for the Cubs to close out their series vs. the Diamondbacks, going 2/4 with a homer and two RBIs. The Cubs really needed his offense, as they only scored five runs in the ‘th inning. Chicago was the +109 underdog going into this matchup.

Jordan Wicks got the start for the Cubs, going 4 1/3 innings, and giving up just two runs on five hits. He only had one strikeout in the outing and took the loss.

Cubs Breakdown

With an overall record of 11-7, the Cubs are 2nd in the NL Central, just half a 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 this season.

Chicago comes into today’s game having won their most recent game, closing out their series with the Diamondbacks with a win. This season, the Cubs are 4-0 as the favorite and have gone 7-7 as the underdog.

Cubs Record

The Cubs have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 13-5 overall. They are 4-2 vs. the run line at home, where they have a run differential of +3.7 per game. They are 9-3 vs. the run line on the road, where they have a run differential of -0.6 per game. They have covered the run line in four of six games as the favorite and in 10 of 14 games as the underdog.

So far this season, the Cubs have played 18 games with an average combined run total of 10.4 runs per game. Their over/under record is 9-9, and their average over/under line is 8 runs per game. The Cubs have only played one game with an over/under line of 9.5 runs, and the over hit in that game. Overall, the Cubs have played 16 games with lower over/under lines than 9.5 runs, and the under has hit in 13 of those games.

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 with a WHIP of 1.28. Taillon’s batting average allowed was .254, and his on-base percentage allowed was .301. He finished the season with nine quality starts and allowed a total of 27 home runs. Taillon’s strikeout-to-walk ratio for the season was 3.4.

Cubs Offense Breakdown

For the Cubs, our top hitter in terms of total hits is Nico Hoerner, who has the 20th highest projected hit total in the league today. In terms of home runs, we have Garrett Cooper as the top option for the Cubs, with his home run projection being 10th best in the league. Cody Bellinger is also a player to watch, as he has the 11th best home run projection in today’s slate of games.

Marlins vs Cubs Prediction

Our prediction for this Marlins vs. Cubs matchup is to take the under, with the line being set at 9.5 runs. We see the Cubs coming out on top with a final score of 5-4. However, with the money line payout for the Cubs being -170, we see the better value being to take the under at -103.

Looking at the starting pitchers, A.J. Puk is predicted to finish with four strikeouts, which is the third-lowest among all starters today. As for the Cubs, they are predicted to finish with eight strikeouts, which is towards the middle of the league.

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.