The Chicago Cubs (39-45) travel to face off against the Milwaukee Brewers (49-34) on Sunday, June 30th. This game will be played at American Family Field in Milwaukee and televised on MARQ. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Brewers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cubs. First pitch is set for 1:10 CT.
Cubs vs Brewers
Chicago picked up a 5-3 road win over the Brewers in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a two-run lead after the first inning and never trailed in the game. As for the Brewers, they scored two runs in the 3rd inning and added their final run in the 4th.
Justin Steele started for the Cubs and went six innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out five. He picked up a win in the game, while Hector Neris closed things out. Tobias Myers only went six innings for the Brewers, giving up three earned runs on seven hits.
At the plate, the Cubs were led by Michael Busch and Ian Happ, as they were the only two Cubs hitters to have more than one hit. Busch, Happ, and Rhys Hoskins each homered for Chicago’s two-run homers. On the other side, Brice Turang went 2/5 with an RBI for the Brewers.
Chicago is 39-45 overall and trail the Brewers by 10.5 games in the NL Central. So far, they are just 10-18 against other teams in the division. The Cubs are on the road today, and they are 17-27 on the road this year.
At home, the Cubs have gone 22-18 this season. Chicago really struggled in June, going 11-16, but they are 6-5 here in July. As the road underdog, the Cubs are 11-21 this year and are an even 20-20 as the favorite. Looking at their overall series record, the Cubs are 9-14-2 and have dropped two straight series.
When the Cubs win, they do so by an average of 2.9 runs per game, which is why they are 40-44 against the run line this season. They are 25-19 against the run line on the road, where they have an average scoring margin of -0.8 runs per game. They are 29-15 against the run line as an underdog, compared to 11-29 as a favorite.
In games with an over/under line of 8, the Cubs are 3-11-1, and their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game this season. Overall, the Cubs have an over/under record of 35-45, and their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs. In 47.6% of their games, the over/under line has been set at 8 or higher, while in 34.5% of their games, the line has been set at less than 8 runs.
Kyle Hendricks Gets The Start For The Cubs
Kyle Hendricks is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Giants, as he gets the start for the Cubs today. In that June 25th start, he took the loss, going seven innings and giving up two earned runs. Looking at his overall numbers, Hendricks has made nine starts and 14 appearances. He has a record of 1-5, an ERA of 6.87, and WHIP of 1.49. Opposing batters are hitting .290 off Hendricks this year. Per nine innings, he has 6.71 strikeouts and 2.65 walks. The right-hander has allowed a total of 11 homers this year.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Chicago’s offense has been below average this season, averaging just 4.1 runs per game (21st). They are also near the bottom of the league in team batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. However, the Cubs have done a good job of drawing walks this season and are 15th in the league in home runs.
Christopher Morel leads the Cubs in home runs this season, but he is batting just .200. Ian Happ has also struggled with his batting average, hitting just .231, but he does have 11 homers, which is 2nd on the team. Happ is also on a four-game hitting streak. Over his last 10 games, he has three homers and seven RBIs, but is batting just .212.
Milwaukee currently leads the NL Central with a record of 49-34, which has them 6.5 games ahead of the Cardinals. The Brewers are 19-10 against other teams in the NL Central. They will take on the Cubs today at home, and the Brewers are 26-13 at home this year.
The Brewers have gone 6-4 across their last ten games, and they are 15-8-2 in series this year. As the home favorite, the Brewers have gone 20-8 this year, and they are 28-16 overall as the favorite. When they have been the underdog, the Brewers are 21-18, which includes their record on the road of 23-21.
When the Brewers win, they do so by an average of 3.3 runs per game. In losses, however, they lose by an average of 2.8 runs per game. Their overall run line record is 44-39, with a +0.8 average run margin. They are 25-19 against the run line on the road and 19-20 at home. As the favorite, they are 18-26 vs. the run line, while as the underdog, they are 26-13.
Today’s over/under line of 8 runs for the Milwaukee Brewers’ game against the Chicago Cubs is right in line with their season average of 8.8 runs per game. The Brewers have played 79 games this season, and 59% of them have had higher over/under lines than 8 runs. Their over/under record this season is 44-35, and when the line has been set at 8 runs, they are 6-6-1.
Freddy Peralta Gets The Start For The Brewers
Milwaukee is sending right-hander Freddy Peralta to the mound today vs. the Cubs. He has made 16 starts this season and has a record of 5-4 with an ERA of 4.03. Peralta’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.17. In his last outing, Peralta finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Peralta has a total of six quality starts this season and is averaging 11.59 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, he has 112 strikeouts, which ranks seventh in the majors.
Brewers Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Brewers are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 8th in the majors. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.1 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .255, which is 5th in the league, and have the 2nd best on-base percentage in the league. One area they could improve in is their isolated power, as their .143 mark is 15th in the MLB.
William Contreras and Willy Adames have been two of the Brewers’ top power threats this season, with Contreras batting .291 with nine homers and Adames leading the team with 13 long balls. Adames is also 9th in the league with 54 RBIs. Over his last nine games, Brice Turang is hitting .350 with eight RBIs, while Jackson Chourio has gone deep twice over this stretch while batting .370.
Cubs vs Brewers Prediction
Our predicted final score for this one is 5-4 in favor of the Brewers, so we would take them on the money line at -178. However, if you’re looking for a higher payout, the over/under is set at 8 runs, and we have this one going over. Our recommended pick would be to take the over at -111.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Freddy Peralta has the second-best chances of picking up a win today, and he is projected to finish with six strikeouts. As for Kyle Hendricks, he is projected to finish with four strikeouts and has the 12th best chances of picking up a win.
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 30, 2024 Brewers, Cubs