The San Diego Padres are ready to do battle against the Chicago Cubs in a Saturday matinee. This NL showdown begins at 2:20 p.m. ET and fans can catch it on either WLS or FSSD.
San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs Odds
The Padres are 46-51 SU and have gone 41-55 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 7.0 units for moneyline gamblers and 19.4 units ATS. San Diego has covered the spread only once over its last seven games and the under has hit in five of those seven. The Cubs, on the other hand, are 53-44 SU and 47-49 ATS. The team has lost 2.5 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 0.3 units ATS. Chicago has a 3-4 ATS mark over its last seven games and the total has gone under in five of those seven.
Cubs games have had an over/under record of 47-43-6 so far in 2019. San Diego has an over/under record of 46-43-7.
Joey Lucchesi will get the nod for the visiting Padres. The left-handed Lucchesi is 7-4 with a 3.92 ERA and 96 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Cubs this year and only made one start against them in 2018 (0-0, 3.18 ERA and nine strikeouts over 5.2 innings).
The Cubs are preparing to start lefty Jose Quintana (7-7, 4.21 ERA), who has 88 strikeouts and 32 walks, along with a 1.35 WHIP. Quintana only made one start against the Padres in 2018 (1-0, 1.50 ERA and six strikeouts across six innings).
Chicago’s pitchers have yielded 4.4 runs per game overall this season as a unit. Its starting pitching staff has an ERA of 3.96, a WHIP of 1.27 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.5. The bullpen has a 4.20 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 8.7 K/9.
Chicago’s offense is putting up 5.1 runs per outing, including 5.8 per game over its last 10 games and 5.2 per game over its last five. The team has a slash-line of .268/.337/.518 over its last five matchups and is 4-1 SU during that span.
The Cubs’ hitters have been led by shortstop Javier Baez and third baseman Kris Bryant. Baez is slashing .287/.319/.543 with 23 home runs, 64 RBIs and 63 runs scored, while Bryant’s line is .296/.406/.560 with 20 homers, 47 RBIs and 75 runs.
For the visiting squad, San Diego’s pitchers have allowed 4.9 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 4.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 8.16 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.86, along with a WHIP of 1.23.
The Padres offense has slashed .243/.310/.430 on its way to 4.4 runs scored per game this season, including 3.8 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 3.8 per game over the team’s last five contests (1-4 SU).
San Diego’s offense has been sparked by first baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Manny Machado. Hosmer is hitting .285/.334/.437 with 13 home runs, 63 RBIs and 49 runs scored. Machado is hitting .271/.342/.512 with 24 homers, 64 RBIs and 56 runs scored.
The Padres have lost 3.0 units and are 8-9 ATS when facing a lefty starter this season. The over has hit in six of those games, compared to 10 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Cubs have lost 4.2 units and are 7-10 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The over’s hit in eight of those games, compared to seven that went under.
Padres vs. Cubs Free MLB Tip
Predictions: SU Winner – Cubs, ATS Winner – Padres, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- The over has hit in just two of San Diego’s last seven games.
- The Padres have a total OPS of .740 this season and an OPS of .765 against left-handed pitchers. The Cubs’ OPS sits at .796 overall and .738 against lefties.
- The Padres have lost six of their last seven games SU while the Cubs have won six of their last seven.
- San Diego has posted 20.2 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 23.8 over its last five.
- The Padres have hit 16 home runs in their last 10 games. The Cubs have hit 19 over their last 10.
