The San Diego Padres (19-20) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (22-15) on Wednesday, May 8th. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on None. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Padres are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cubs. First pitch is set for 2:20 ET.
Padres vs Cubs
Chicago picked up a 3-2 win over the Padres in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a two-run lead going into the 8th inning, and the Padres could only muster two runs in the top of the 8th. As for the Cubs, they scored the game’s first run in the 1st inning and didn’t score another run until putting up the game-winning run in the bottom of the 9th.
Randy Vásquez got the start for the Padres, going just 4 1/3 innings while giving up one run and striking out six. Enyel De Los Santos took the loss. Hector Neris got the win out of the bullpen for the Cubs as Shota Imanaga went seven innings, giving up two earned runs.
Cody Bellinger had a three-hit game for the Cubs, including a home run. Michael Busch also went deep for Chicago. Jurickson Profar hit the game’s other home run for the Padres.
San Diego is 19-20 overall this season, and they are 6.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. The Padres are on the road today, taking on the Cubs, and they are 11-8 on the road this year. At home, the Padres have gone just 8-12.
The Padres have an overall series record of 6-5-2, and they have won two straight series. As the favorite, San Diego is 12-11 this year and 7-9 as the underdog. San Diego has split their last ten games and are currently tied with the Cubs in their series.
San Diego has been a solid run line bet on the road, going 15-4 this season, and they have covered in two straight games. The Padres’ overall run line record is 21-18, and they have a positive run differential of 0.3 runs per game. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 11-5 against the run line, compared to 10-13 as the favorite.
San Diego’s games have been averaging 9.7 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 21-17. The over/under line for today’s game against the Cubs is set at 8.5 runs. In games where the line has been set at 8.5 runs, the over/under record is 8-4. So far this season, only 15.4% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher.
Dylan Cease Gets The Start For The Padres
Dylan Cease has been pitching well for the Padres this season, coming into the game with a record of 4-2 and an ERA of 2.55. Cease has made 7 starts this year and has pitched well on the road, going 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA. In his last outing, Cease gave up just one earned run in 6 2/3 innings of work. He finished with 8 strikeouts in that outing. Cease has made five quality starts this year and is averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings. So far, he has allowed just two homers.
Padres Offense Breakdown
San Diego has been one of the league’s best offensive teams this season, as they are 6th in runs per game (5) and are also 2nd in home runs and have the 2nd best team batting average in the league. The Padres have been even better on the road, averaging 5.5 runs per game. So far, they have been a tough team to strike out and are among the league leaders in on-base percentage and slugging.
San Diego’s top power hitters this season have been Jurickson Profar, Jake Cronenworth, and Fernando Tatis Jr., who have all hit at least six home runs. Profar and Cronenworth have also been swinging the bat well of late, with both players hitting two homers in their last six games. Cronenworth is batting .370 in this stretch, while Profar is at .435. Cronenworth is also on an 11-game hitting streak.
Chicago is 22-15 overall this season, and they are 13-5 at home compared to 9-10 on the road. The Cubs are 2nd in the NL Central, and they are currently tied with the Brewers for the division lead. The Cubs and Brewers are both 2-1 in divisional games this year.
As the home underdog, the Cubs have gone 6-1 this year, and they are 10-5 overall as the favorite. Chicago has an overall series record of 6-3-2 this year. The Cubs are 5-5 in their last ten games overall.
When the Cubs win, they tend to win by a comfortable margin, as their average run differential in victories is 3.2 runs per game. They have been a strong play on the run line this season, going 23-14 overall, including a 17-5 mark as the underdog. Chicago has been especially good on the run line on the road, going 13-6, compared to 10-8 at home. The Cubs have covered the run line in two straight games as the underdog.
When the Cubs play at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. Their combined run average for the season is 9.0 runs per game. So far this season, the over/under record for Cubs games is 16-20, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, the record is 5-3. Overall, 54.1% of their games have had lower over/under lines than 8.5 runs.
Hayden Wesneski Gets The Start For The Cubs
Hayden Wesneski will be making his 3rd start of the season for the Cubs, and he has yet to take a loss. He started the year with a win in relief against the Diamondbacks and then went 6 1/3 innings in his last outing, finishing with 8 strikeouts and just 3 hits allowed.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Chicago comes into the game with an average of 4.7 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 5.2 runs per game, which is 3rd in the league. As a team, they are batting just .238, but they have the 6th most home runs in the league.
Christopher Morel has been on a tear of late, going 5/19 with four homers over his last six games. This has moved him into the team lead in home runs. Overall, he is batting just .215. Michael Busch has been a solid run producer for the Cubs, as his 19 RBIs are 2nd on the team and 15th in the league. He is also 2nd on the team with seven homers.
Padres vs Cubs Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Padres vs. Cubs game is to take the Cubs on the money line, with the payout sitting at +104. We have the Cubs winning this one by a score of 6-5.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Hayden Wesneski finishing with four strikeouts compared to Dylan Cease, who we have racking up seven. However, we have Wesneski finishing with a better ERA than Cease.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 8, 2024 Cubs, Padres