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After a thrilling contest that saw the Cubs outlast the Brewers to kick off the 2022 MLB season, the two division rivals will face off once again on the diamond at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon. Friday's game was postponed. The starters will carry over to Saturday. It is that time to look at our MLB odds series, where our Brewers-Cubs prediction and pick will be revealed.
The Brewers trailed Thursday's opening day matchup 3-1 before eventually tying things up in the top half of the seventh inning and even had a chance to take their first lead of the afternoon with two outs and men on base. This turned out to simply a pipe dream for Milwaukee, as they soon squandered the opportunity to take control of the ball game by allowing a pair of runs in the Cubs' bottom half of the seventh. After beginning the 2022 season in the losing column, Milwaukee will send out RHP Brandon Woodruff to the hill with his paltry 2.56 ERA from last season.
Chicago will try to move forward with their winning ways, as southpaw Justin Steele will get the nod versus the Brew Crew. Steele was used in mostly relief situations, as the Cubs would love the 26-year-old to become a main fixture for a pitching staff that appears to be middle-of-the-pack on paper entering 2022.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Brewers-Cubs MLB odds:
MLB odds: Cubs-Brewers Odds
Milwaukee Brewers: -1.5 (+112)
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-134)
Over: 7 (-128)
Under: 7 (+104)
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Why The Brewers Could Cover the Spread
After a hard-fought game that saw the Brewers come out on the short end of the stick, Milwaukee will have a chance to hit the reset button in game 2 of their season-opening series versus the Cubs. The Brewers pitched well enough to win the game and even outhit Chicago 10-8, but could not get over the hump after clawing their way back in the late stages of the matchup.
After reaching the postseason four straight seasons, Milwaukee is far from panic mode, as they know more than any team that the long MLB campaign is nothing but a marathon that requires the perfect amount of consistency and level-headiness. In fact, the defending NL Central champs have a tremendous opportunity to get that first victory under their belts in game two of their season, as All-Star hurler Brandon Woodruff will be making his debut start of 2022. Woodruff has historically had his way versus Chicago in his five seasons as a Brewer, compiling a 2-1 record with a 2.75 ERA in 11 starts, which is the most appearances against any team he has faced in the majors.
Milwaukee has the talent on their roster to be division winners once again, but they need OF Christian Yelich to return to MVP form, as the star outfielder struggled mightily in 2021. After spanking 44 homers in his 2019 season, Yelich could not have posted more pedestrian numbers last season, as the 2018 NL MVP only slashed .248 and had a career-low .736 OPS. If the Brew Crew is going to win their first World Series since 1982, they will need their best players to have some of their most productive years yet. The Brewers could cover the spread in this one if they continue to get prolific hitting in the heart of the lineup from Willy Adames, Andrew McCutchen, and Rowdy Tellez, as the trio combined for six of the ten Brewers hits on Thursday.
Why The Cubs Could Cover the Spread
When the smoke cleared and all was said and done, the Chicago Cubs were the victors after a stellar performance that saw them prevail with timely hitting and excellent pitching down the stretch. With the infamous triumphant song “Go Cubs Go” blaring throughout the streets of the Windy City, the energy was comparable to the Cubbies winning the World Series on a mostly pleasant Thursday afternoon. No one loves a Cubs win more than the city of Chicago, and that was for sure the case 24 hours ago.
It has already been six years since the Cubs finally won the World Series after waiting and suffering for 108 years, as the championship roster from that 2016 squad has mostly been pushed out the door, with the Cubs signaling a rebuilding phase for the most part after going 71-91 in 2021. With only Willson Contreras, Jason Heyward, and Kyle Hendricks remaining from that historic bunch, Chicago's fresh faces sure did impress on opening day. After making only 14 starts in the clean-up spot a year ago, CF Ian Happ came through when his team needed him the most. Happ had a field day, to say the least, as the 27-year-old had three hits in four at-bats, including a two-run double that put the Cubbies up for good in the home half of the seventh inning.
Looking to start off on the right food in 2022 will be Justin Steele, who made his pitching debut last season. In four games (two starts) against the Brewers, Steele went 0-1 with a 3.97 ERA.
A name that is already on the minds of every Cubs fan in the United States? How about OF Seiya Suzuki, who went 1-2 with two walks in his MLB debut after playing nine seasons in Japan. Starting 2-0 and guaranteeing at least a series split versus their dreaded division rivals would be a fantastic start to a lengthy season ahead in Chicago.
Final Brewers-Cubs Prediction & Pick
After going 1-10 with runners in scoring position on Thursday, don't expect the Brewers to struggle as they did again in that department. Woodruff will pitch effectively versus the Cubs, as Milwaukee gets the victory and covers the spread at Wrigley to tie up the series at one apiece.
Final Brewers-Cubs Prediction & Pick: Brewers -1.5 (+112)
