The Philadelphia Phillies (56-29) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (39-47) on Wednesday, July 3rd. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on MLBN. The Phillies are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cubs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Phillies. First pitch is set for 7:05 CT.
Phillies vs. Cubs Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Cubs (+111)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Cubs have scored 5 or more runs in 6 of their last 15 games, showing an ability to generate offense.
- The Cubs have a winning record at home in their last 15 games, with 5 wins and 4 losses.
- The Cubs have won 3 of their last 4 home games against the Phillies, indicating a favorable head-to-head trend.
- The Cubs have a recent win against a strong opponent, scoring 8 runs against the Mets on June 22nd.
- The Cubs have shown resilience by winning games where they scored 5 or more runs, achieving this in 4 of their last 15 games.
Phillies vs Cubs
Philadelphia rallied for two runs in the 9th inning in the most recent game of this Phillies vs. Cubs series. The Phillies scored two runs in the 1st inning but didn’t score another run until putting up two in the top of the 9th, picking up a 6-4 win. Heading into the game, the Phillies were at +102 on the money line.
Michael Mercado only went five innings for the Phillies but gave up just one hit and one earned run. He finished with four strikeouts but issued two walks. Jeff Hoffman got the save. Hayden Wesneski struggled on the mound for the Cubs, giving up five runs in five innings of work.
Trea Turner and Bryson Stott each homered for the Phillies, while Garrett Stubbs scored twice and drove in two runs while going 1/4. Seiya Suzuki hit the game’s other home run for the Cubs, going 2/4 with three RBIs.
Philadelphia has been playing well, winning two straight games and holding a 7-3 record in their last 10 games. They are currently 56-29 overall and lead the NL East by nine games over the Braves. The Phillies have a 14-8 record in the division.
Against the run line on the road, the Phillies are 21-17, with an average run margin of +1.1. Their overall run line record is 45-40. The over has hit in two straight games for the Phillies, and their over/under record is 37-43 this season. When the O/U line is set at 8 runs, their record is 14-9-1.
Zack Wheeler Gets The Start For The Phillies
Right-hander Zack Wheeler gets the start for the Phillies today as he faces the Cubs on the road. Wheeler has made 17 starts this season and has a record of 9-4 with a 2.73 ERA. He most recently faced the Marlins, where he finished with a no-decision, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up two earned runs. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts. Wheeler’s ERA on the road is 5.29, compared to 1.9 at home. So far, he has turned in 13 quality starts and is averaging 9.54 strikeouts per nine innings.
Phillies Offense Breakdown
Philadelphia has been one of the league’s top offenses this season, as they are 4th in runs per game (5) and have the league’s 5th best home run total. They are also the top home run hitting team in the league and have a team batting average of .259, which is 3rd best in the MLB. The Phillies are also near the top of the league in on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS.
Over his last five games, Bryce Harper has gone 9/22 with two homers and seven RBIs. For the season, Harper is batting .303 with a team-high 20 home runs. Alec Bohm has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/34 with two homers over his last nine games. Bohm is hitting .297 for the season and has driven in 68 runs, which is the best mark on the team and 3rd best in the MLB.
Chicago has struggled as the favorite this season, going 20-21, and they have an overall series record of 9-16-2. The Cubs have lost three straight series and are currently on a two-game losing streak. They are 5th in the NL Central with a 39-47 record, 12 games behind the Brewers.
On the run line, the Cubs have been a better bet on the road with a 25-20 record, and they are 29-16 as underdogs. Their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game this season, and the over has hit in two straight games. Chicago’s over/under record is 37-45, and when the O/U line has been set at 8 runs, they are 3-11-1.
Shota Imanaga Gets The Start For The Cubs
Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he gave up three earned runs in six innings of work. In that outing, he finished with a no-decision. Looking back further, Imanaga has been pitching well, as he had picked up the win in three straight starts before the no-decision. One of the keys for Imanaga today will be to keep the ball in the park, as he has given up a home run in three straight outings. His ERA for the season is 3.07, along with a record of 7-2.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Cubs offense has been just 21st in the league in runs per game, averaging 4.1 runs per contest. They have been even worse on the road, averaging just 3.9 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .227, which is 21st in the league, and are also near the bottom of the league in slugging percentage and OPS.
Chicago’s offense is led by Christopher Morel, who has 15 home runs this season, but his batting average is just .195. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are tied for 2nd on the team with 11 homers, with Happ batting just .226 and Suzuki at .262. Over his last five games, Happ has gone 3/14 with two homers.
Phillies vs Cubs Prediction
Our pick for this Phillies vs. Cubs matchup is to take the Cubs on the money line, with a payout of +111. With the payout and our projections having the Cubs winning this one 5-4, this is a great payout for a team that we have winning.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Shota Imanaga finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for fifth among today’s starters. As for Zack Wheeler, we have him finishing with six K’s, which is eighth best. However, Wheeler is projected to finish with the most earned runs allowed among today’s 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:July 3, 2024 Cubs, Phillies