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Shota Imanaga heads to the mound for the Chicago Cubs as they host Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Phillies-Cubs prediction and pick.
Phillies-Cubs Projected Starters
Zack Wheeler vs. Shota Imanaga
Zack Wheeler (9-4) with a 2.73 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP
Last Start: In the last start, Zack Wheeler went 6.2 innings giving up seven hits and two walks. He gave up just two runs but took the no-decision against the Marlins.
2024 Road Splits: Wheeler has made seven starts on the road so far, going 3-2 with a 4.35 ERA and a .221 opponent batting average.
Shota Imanaga (7-2) with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP
Last Start: Imanga went six innings giving up five hits and two walks against the Giants. They would score three runs against Imanaga, as the Cubs would beat the Giants in ten innings.
2024 Home Splits: Imanaga is 3-1 in eight starts at home this year, with a 3.25 ERA and a .241 opponent batting average.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Cubs Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+126)
Moneyline: -126
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-152)
Moneyline: +108
Over: 7.5 (-105)
Under: 7.5 (-115)
How to Watch Phillies vs. Cubs
Time: 8:05 PM ET/ 5:05 PM PT
TV: NBCSP/MARQ
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Phillies Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Phillies are fourth in the majors in runs scored, while sitting third in batting average, second in on-base percentage, and sixth in slugging. Still, two of the top bats in nthe lineup are out of the lineup. Bryce Harper is out, and gone is his .303 average, 20 home runs, and 58 RBIs. Kyle Schwarber is also out, and. with it, his 17 home runs, 49 RBIS, and 60 runs scored. Still, the Phillies have Alex Bohm. He is hitting .300 on the year with ten home runs and 68 RBIs. He has scored 39 times. Nick Castellanos is hitting .231 on the year with 11 home runs, 42 RBIs and 40 runs scored. Further, Bryson Stott has been solid. He is hitting .243 with five home runs, 38 RBIS, and 39 runs scored.
Alec Bohm has continued to drive in runs in the absence of Harper and Schwarber but has not been hitting hard. In the last week, he is hitting just .130 but has a home run and four RBIs. Nick Castellanos has been great in the last week. He is hitting .304 this week, with four RBIs and a run scored. Brandon Marsh has also been solid. He is hitting .467 in the last week with a home run, four RTBIS and two runs scored.
Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cubs are 20th in the majors in runs scored while sitting 25th in batting average, 15th in on-base percentage, and 25th in slugging. Christopher Morel leads the way this year. He is hitting just .198 this year but with a .307 on-base percentage. Morel has 15 home runs, 45 RBIs and 38 runs scored this year. He has also stolen seven bases. Ian Happ has also been solid this year. He is hitting .229 on the year with a .345 on-base percentage. He has 11 home runs and 44 RBIs this year while scoring 43 times. Rounding out the top bats of the year is Cody Bellinger. He is hitting .267 on the year with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and 34 runs scored.
In the last week, Nico Hoerner has been solid. He is hitting .320 in the last week with two home runs and three RBIs. He has also scored four times. Joining him in driving in runs is Ian Happ. Happ is hitting .235 in the last week with four RBIs and two home runs. He has scored five times in nthe last week. Not hitting well, but driving in runs is Seiya Suzuki. He is hitting just .208 but has a double, a triple, and two home runs, leading to three RBIs and three runs scored.
Current members of the Cubs have 83 career at-bats against Zack Wheeler. They have hit .229 against him with eight home runs. A lot of that success comes from Cody Bellinger. He is five for 13 with five home runs and ten RBIs. Meanwhile, Christopher Morel is two for four with a home run and an RBI against Wheeler. The most experience comes from Dansby Swanson. Swandon is six for 39 with a double, an RBI, and three walks.
Final Phillies-Cubs Prediction & Pick
The Phillies are missing a lot on offense, but they are still going to be solid in this one. With Shota Imanaga on the mound, it may be difficult to score for the Phillies though. It will be difficult for the Cubs in this one to score against Wheeler. This leads to the best play being on the total. Take the under.
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Final Phillies-Cubs Prediction & Pick: Under 7.5 (-115)
