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Two historically rich franchises go head-to-head in a critical contest as the New York Mets travel to Wrigley Field to begin a four-game set with the Chicago Cubs. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Mets-Cubs prediction and pick will take place.
The Mets enter play 21 games above the .500 mark at 55-34 including a 27-19 record as the visiting team. Looking to continue to add to their win total, the Mets will send out right-hander Carlos Carrasco for the start. The Venezuelan native is9-4 with a 4.55 ERA on the season.
Like the Mets, the Cubbies are also 20 games away from the .500 mark. However, Chicago is in an opposite position in comparison to New York as they come into play with a woeful 34-54. With the season appearing grim for the Cubs, RHP Keegan Thompson will attempt to rejuvenate this clubhouse with a solid outing in front of the home crowd. In eleven starts this season, Thompson is 7-3 with a 3.04 ERA.
Here are the Mets-Cubs MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Mets-Cubs Odds
New York Mets: -1.5 (+125)
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-150)
Over: 7.5 (-108)
Under: 7.5 (-112)
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Why The Mets Could Cover the Spread
With one of the better records in the National League, who could've expected this type of play from the team located in the borough of Queens prior to the season? Not many. Through 89 games, the Mets have crushed preseason expectations and are proving to not only the rest of the league but also to themselves that they have what it takes to be contenders.
Reaching the halfway point of the season, New York currently has a 2.5-game lead on the Braves for the top spot in the NL East. In contrast, the Mets have played fundamentally sound in many aspects on the diamond to achieve where they are at now. While there is still much to accomplish the rest of the way, few teams in baseball can match New York's weaponry at the plate and from the mound.
With first-baseman Pete Alonso continuing to add on to his MVP-caliber type of season, the Mets have all the pieces inside the batter's box to give any opposing pitchers fits. On the year, Alonso is raking .268 with a whopping 23 home runs and 72 RBIs. Not to mention, but stud names like second-baseman Jeff McNeil have also been enjoying a productive campaign, as the middle-infielder leads the team with a .311 batting average. As a whole, the Mets have the fourth-most runs in baseball with 421.
Not only can the Mets abuse you with the bats, but their pitching staff can also inflict some damage. While starter Carlos Carrasco has seen his fair share of up and downs this season, New York ranks seventh with 36 quality starts and a 3.73 ERA. The offense may single handily cover the spread against a mediocre Cubs bunch, but an effective outing from Carrasco would be the cherry on top.
Why The Cubs Could Cover the Spread
No, Cubs, no! Alas, the Cubs are not a good baseball team. Currently in the thick of a six-game losing skid, Chicago's hopes of playing meaningful ball in the final months of the season are quickly evaporating. The Cubbies have been put through the ringer of late against teams like the Dodgers, Brewers, and Red Sox, but Chicago has still not done enough on the diamond to consistently win games.
Regardless, Chicago has some select playmakers that can give the team a chance to cover the spread on this Thursday summer evening. With the stench of losing starting to stink up the Cubs clubhouse, righty Keegan Thompson may be Chicago's best hope of breathing some life into this ball club. Thompson has endured a fairly productive campaign thus far and is at his best when pitching at Wrigley Field. At home, Thompson holds a 4-1 record with a 2.14 ERA across 46.1 innings pitched. Additionally, the Mets are also struggling to score runs in the first five innings of road games as they are averaging only 2.04 runs in the first half of contests. Factor that in with Carrasco's road struggles and all of a sudden, the recipe for success becomes a little clearer for the Cubbies.
Even with one of their top pitchers slated to take the mound tonight, the Cubs are still allowing offenses to slash .253 off of them. This is where the Chicago offense will need to show up in a big way. On the year, the Cubs are an above-average hitting team with the tenth-best on-base percentage in the majors at .320 and a 3.96 slugging percentage.
Final Mets-Cubs Prediction & Pick
The Cubbies are bound to win eventually right? Even with a dreadful overall record, the Cubs are 43-44 ATS this season in comparison to the Mets who are only slightly better at 48-41 ATS. Also, Chicago has their workhorse on the mound in Thompson wh0 provides the Cubs with an excellent chance to cover the spread and possibly snap their losing streak all at once. Hammer the Cubbies at home in this one!
Final Mets-Cubs Prediction & Pick: Cubs +1.5 (-150)
