The Chicago Cubs (37-44) travel to face off against the San Francisco Giants (39-42) on Thursday, June 27th. This game will be played at Oracle Park in San Francisco and televised on MLBN. The Giants are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cubs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Giants. First pitch is set for 2:45 CT.
Cubs vs Giants
San Francisco picked up a 4-3 win over the Cubs in the most recent game of this series. The Giants had a three-run 2nd inning and scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 5th. As for the Cubs, they scored one run in the 4th and added their final two runs in the 5th.
Hayden Birdsong only went 4 2/3 innings for the Giants but gave up just three hits and three earned runs. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued three walks. Luke Jackson got the win out of the bullpen, and Camilo Doval got the save.
Chicago’s starter, Hayden Wesneski, went just four innings and gave up three hits and three earned runs. He finished the game with seven strikeouts but allowed two home runs. Drew Smyly took the loss out of the bullpen.
With an overall record of 37-44, the Cubs are 5th in the NL Central, 11 games behind the Brewers. So far, they have gone just 9-17 in divisional matchups. The Cubs have dropped four straight games, and this losing streak has come after losing three of four.
Chicago has really struggled on the road this year, going 15-26 compared to 22-18 at home. As the road favorite, the Cubs are 5-6 this year, and they are 19-20 as the favorite overall. The team they are favored to beat today, the Giants, are 18-24 as the underdog this year. Looking at their overall record as the underdog, the Cubs are 18-24.
Chicago is 23-18 against the run line on the road this season, but just 15-25 at home. The Cubs have been an underdog in 42 games, going 28-14 against the run line. As a favorite, they are just 10-29. The Cubs’ average run differential is -0.3 runs per game, and they have a run differential of -1.0 runs per game on the road.
The Cubs are on the road against the Giants today, and the O/U line for the game is set at 7.5 runs. The two teams have combined for an average of 8.6 runs per game this season, and the Cubs have an O/U record of 34-44. When the O/U line has been set at 7.5 runs this season, the Cubs have gone over the total 8 times and under 10 times. Overall, 65.4% of the Cubs’ games this season have had O/U lines set higher than 7.5 runs, and their current O/U streak is under 2 games.
Shota Imanaga Gets The Start For The Cubs
Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Giants on the road. He has made 14 starts this season and has a record of 7-2 with an ERA of 2.96. Imanaga’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.10. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up 10 hits, 10 earned runs, and three homers in three innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Imanaga has made eight quality starts this season and is averaging 9.23 strikeouts per nine innings.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Cubs offense has been pretty average, as they are 20th in runs per game at 4.1. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and team batting average. However, they do have a few hitters who have been swinging the bat well of late, including Christopher Morel and Cody Bellinger. Over his last six games, Morel is hitting .300 with two homers, and Bellinger has gone 8/21 in that stretch.
Morel comes into the game as the Cubs’ top run producer, with 45 RBIs, and his 15 homers is 10th in the league. The team’s top three home run hitters are Morel, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki, who all have nine homers apiece. Happ and Suzuki are also batting .227 and .263, respectively.
San Francisco is currently 4th in the NL West, where they trail the Dodgers by 11.5 games. Overall, the Giants are 39-42 as they host the Cubs today. The Giants have won three straight games, and these wins have come at home, where they are 23-17 this year.
As the home underdog, the Giants have a record of 6-6 this year, and they are 16-24 as the underdog overall. San Francisco has been good as the favorite, going 23-18. The Giants’ overall series record is 12-11-2, and they have a three-game losing streak in series play.
San Francisco has been a below-average run line team this season, going 39-42. They have been slightly better at home, going 18-22 against the run line. Their average run margin is -0.3 runs per game, but they have been outscored by 0.8 runs per game on the road. They have been a better run line team as an underdog, going 22-18 against the run line in those games.
The San Francisco Giants are at home today against the Chicago Cubs, and the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs. The Giants have played to an over/under record of 44-35 this season, and their games have averaged 9.1 runs per game. When the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs, their record is 18-12. Overall, 55.6% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs, and their current under streak is at 2 games.
Jordan Hicks Gets The Start For The Giants
Jordan Hicks will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Cubs today. In that June 22nd start, he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in four innings of work. Looking back over his last four outings, Hicks has finished with a no-decision in two of them and has taken the loss in the other two. His ERA for the season is 3.24, along with a record of 4-4. Opponents are batting .225 vs. Hicks this season. Per nine innings, he has 7.7 strikeouts and 3.46 walks. So far, he has made three quality starts.
Giants Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Giants are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 15th in the league. They have been a little better on the road, averaging 4.5 runs per game. San Francisco’s offense has been pretty balanced so far, as they are 10th in team batting average and 13th in home runs. The Giants have three players with nine homers apiece, including Heliot Ramos, who is batting .294.
Ramos has gone just 7/38 in his last nine games, but he does have two homers during that stretch. Patrick Bailey has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/29 in his last eight games. Matt Chapman and Luis Matos are both on three-game hitting streaks. Chapman is batting just .234 for the season, but he does have nine homers.
Cubs vs Giants Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Cubs vs. Giants game is to take the Giants on the money line, with the payout sitting at -108. We actually have the Giants winning this one by a score of 5-4, and with the payout being close to even, there is a good amount of value on the Giants to pick up the win.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Shota Imanaga finishing with eight strikeouts, which is the third most among all starters today. As for Jordan Hicks, we have him finishing with five strikeouts, and his chances of picking up a win are the fourth lowest among all starters.
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 27, 2024 Cubs, Giants