The Toronto Blue Jays (57-64) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (59-63) on Friday, August 16th. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on APLTV. The Blue Jays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cubs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Guardians. First pitch is set for 1:20 CT.
Blue Jays vs. Cubs Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Cubs (-114)
- Over/Under Prediction: Under 10 Runs
- The Cubs have scored an average of 5.6 runs per game in their last 15 games.
- The Cubs have won 6 out of their last 8 home games.
- The Cubs have a higher home win percentage (.542) compared to the Blue Jays’ away win percentage (.459).
- The Cubs have outscored their opponents by 22 runs in their last 15 games.
- The Cubs have won 4 out of their last 5 games against teams with a losing record.
Blue Jays vs Cubs
The Blue Jays Are Coming Off A Win
The Blue Jays’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Angels, closing out their series with a 9-2 win. After allowing two runs to the Angels in the 1st inning, the Blue Jays responded with two runs of their own. Toronto went on to add another two runs in the 2nd inning.
José Berríos put together a good start for the Blue Jays, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Toronto’s offense was carried by Daulton Varsho, who went 3/5 with a homer and three RBIs.
As the road favorite, the Blue Jays have a 13-7 record this season, and they are 36-26 overall as the favorite. Toronto’s series record is 14-19-6, and they have a run line record of 59-62. They have been particularly successful against the run line on the road, going 38-23.
Toronto is on a three-game winning streak and has won four straight games against the run line on the road. Their overall record is 57-64, and they are 5th in the AL East, trailing the Orioles by 14.5 games.
Yariel Rodríguez Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Right-hander Yariel Rodríguez gets the start for the Blue Jays today as he faces the Cubs on the road. He has made 12 starts this season and has a record of 1-5 with a 3.60 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .212 this season. In his 12 starts, Rodríguez has turned in two quality starts and is averaging 9.36 strikeouts per nine innings. The last time he took the mound, he gave up one earned run in 5 2/3 innings of work, taking the loss. Before that outing, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight starts.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
Coming into today’s game, the Blue Jays are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been slightly better on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per contest. As a team, the Blue Jays are batting .239, which is 15th in the league, and are 22nd in home runs. However, they do have the 5th fewest strikeouts in the league.
First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been one of the league’s top hitters this season, coming in with a batting average of .323 to go along with 25 homers and 80 RBIs. He has also been hot of late, going 13/33 (.394) over his last eight games, with three homers. Daulton Varsho is 2nd on the team in homers but is batting just .208 for the season.
The Cubs Took The Last Game Of This Series
Chicago closed out their series vs. the Guardians with a 6-1 loss on the road. The Cubs were the +111 underdog going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Cubs, as they got on the board with a run in the 4th inning but gave up the lead right away as the Guardians scored two runs in the bottom of the 4th.
Jameson Taillon had a rough outing, giving up four earned runs on five hits and issuing two walks. He also hit a batter and took the loss. The Cubs’ offense scored their only run on a Patrick Wisdom single in the 4th.
Chicago is 59-63 against the run line this season, with a 36-27 record on the road and 23-36 at home. The Cubs have a series record of 15-21-3 and are coming off a series sweep by the Guardians. They have an over/under record of 53-65, with their games averaging 8.4 runs per game.
The Cubs are 10.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central, holding a 4th place spot. They have struggled in divisional matchups, going 17-26 so far this season. Chicago’s straight-up record is 32-34 as underdogs and 15-41 as favorites against the run line. In their wins, the Cubs have outscored opponents by an average of 3.4 runs per game.
Kyle Hendricks Gets The Start For The Cubs
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Blue Jays at home. He has made 16 starts this year and has a record of 3-10 with a 6.60 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Hendricks has a WHIP of 1.45 and has allowed a total of 18 home runs. In his last outing, he went six innings, taking the loss while giving up two earned runs, five hits, and one homer. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight starts. Hendricks’ ERA for the season is 6.17 at home compared to 7.68 on the road.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Cubs are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league and are also near the bottom of the league in home runs. As a team, they are batting just .235 and have a collective on-base percentage of .311. Chicago’s offense has been led by Ian Happ, who has 20 homers this season and is hitting just .231.
Over his last seven games, Happ has gone 7/28 with three homers and six runs scored. Nico Hoerner is hitting .256 for the season and has gone deep five times. Isaac Paredes has 18 homers this season, but is batting just .237.
Blue Jays vs Cubs Prediction
We see the Cubs taking this one at home with a final score of 5-4. At -114 on the money line, there is some good value in picking up a win for the Cubs. Looking at the starting pitchers, Kyle Hendricks is projected to finish with four strikeouts, and he has the highest hits allowed projection among today’s starters.
For Yariel Rodríguez, his strikeout projection is six, and he is currently projected to finish with the 10th most among today’s starters. If you’re looking for a parlay, you could look at the over/under, with the line sitting at 10 runs. Our models have this one finishing with a combined nine runs.
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:August 16, 2024 Blue Jays, Cubs