The New York Mets (35-38) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (36-39) on Friday, June 21st. 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 Mets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rangers. First pitch is set for 1:20 CT.
Mets vs Cubs
The Mets will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Rangers with a 5-3 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 7th inning before the Rangers scored two runs in the bottom of the 7th. New York was the -113 favorite on the money line going into the game.
Sean Manaea had a good start for the Mets, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just three runs on two hits. He also issued three walks and struck out six. However, the Mets couldn’t close things out, and Drew Smith took the loss out of the bullpen. The Mets also wasted a big game from Pete Alonso, who homered in the 1st inning, going 1/4.
With an overall record of 35-38, the Mets are 4th in the NL East, trailing the Phillies by 13.5 games. New York will be on the road today, taking on the Cubs. The Mets are 11-10 against other NL East teams this year and closed out their series vs. the Rangers with two straight wins.
As the road underdog, the Mets have gone 11-10 this year, and they are 17-15 overall on the road. New York has gone 18-23 at home. So far, they have been good as the favorite, putting up a mark of 20-18. As for their record as the underdog, they are 15-20, which includes winning three straight games as the underdog overall.
The Mets have been a good bet on the run line on the road this season, going 19-13. They have a run line record of 33-40 overall, with an average run margin of -0.1 runs per game. They have a run line record of 20-15 as an underdog this season.
The New York Mets have a combined run average of 9.3 this season, and their over/under record is 37-34. The over/under line for today’s game against the Chicago Cubs is set at 8 runs. The Mets have played 31 games with over/under lines set higher than 8 runs, which accounts for 42.5% of their games this season.
Jose Quintana Gets The Start For The Mets
New York is sending left-hander Jose Quintana to the mound today vs. the Cubs. Quintana has made 14 starts this year and has a record of 2-5 with a 4.98 ERA. So far, he has made four quality starts and is averaging 6.22 strikeouts per nine innings. Quintana’s most recent outing was a good one, as he picked up the win vs. the Padres, going six innings and giving up just one earned run. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight outings. For the season, he has allowed 12 homers.
Mets Offense Breakdown
After a slow start to the season, both Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Martinez have been swinging the bat well for the Mets of late. Nimmo is hitting .351 over his last nine games, while Martinez is batting .314 with three homers over his last 10 games. Pete Alonso comes into the game as the Mets’ leader in home runs (16) and RBIs (42), but he is hitting just .243 for the season.
As a team, the Mets are 11th in scoring (4.6 runs per game) and have been even better on the road, averaging 5.7 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams and are batting a collective .246. New York is also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts.
Dansby Swanson had a big game at the plate in the Cubs’s 6-5 win over the Giants to close out their series. He went 2/4 with three RBIs and a homer. The Cubs really broke things open with a three-run 4th inning. Kyle Hendricks was also good on the mound, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one run while striking out eight.
Chicago’s bullpen had a bit of a scare in the 8th inning, as the Giants pulled to within one run after scoring four times in the inning. However, Colten Brewer was able to close things out, and the Cubs picked up the win as the -111 favorite at home.
Chicago is set to host the Mets today with an overall record of 36-39, which has them 4th in the NL Central. The Cubs are eight games behind the Brewers for the division lead, and they are just 9-17 in divisional games this year. The Cubs have picked up two straight wins, and they took the final two games of their series vs. the Giants.
At home, the Cubs are 21-16 this year compared to a 15-23 mark on the road. Chicago has won two straight games as the favorite, and they are 19-17 when favored this year. As for their record as the underdog, the Cubs are 17-22 this season. So far, their overall series record is 9-13-2.
When betting the run line, the Cubs have been a better bet on the road (22-16) than at home (14-23). They have been a better bet as the underdog (26-13) than as the favorite (10-26). Their average run differential in games they have won is +2.9, while it is -3.0 in games they have lost.
The Chicago Cubs are at home today against the New York Mets, with the over/under line set at 8 runs. The Cubs’ games have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 32-40. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and when the line has been set at 8 runs, their over/under record is 2-9. Nearly half of their games this season have had over/under lines set above 8 runs.
Shota Imanaga Gets The Start For The Cubs
Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and is coming off a strong outing vs. the Cardinals. In that June 15th start, he went seven innings, giving up just one earned run on six hits. He finished with six strikeouts in that outing. Imanaga has made 13 starts this season and has a record of 7-1 with an ERA of 1.90. Opposing batters are hitting .219 off the left-hander this season. Looking at his overall numbers, Imanaga has a WHIP of .99 and has issued just 1.3 walks per nine innings.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Cubs offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the league. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game, and are also 5th in team walks. As a team, the Cubs are batting just .230 and have the league’s 16th-ranked home run total.
Chicago’s top power threat this season has been Christopher Morel, who has 13 homers but is batting just .197. Cody Bellinger and Ian Happ have also gone deep nine times this season. Both players have been swinging the bat well of late, with Happ hitting .367 over his last nine games and Bellinger at .300 over his last 10. Happ also comes into the game on a five-game hitting streak.
Mets vs Cubs Prediction
We see the Mets picking up a 5-4 road win over the Cubs today. With the Mets being the underdogs, you could take them on the money line at +125, as this would give you a nice payout.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Shota Imanaga of the Cubs finishing with six strikeouts compared to Jose Quintana of the Mets with five. However, we still have Imanaga finishing with a better chance of picking up a win compared to Quintana.
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 24, 2024 Cubs, Mets