The Brewers make the trip to Chicago to face the Cubs! These two rivals are having very different seasons. The Brewers have been one of the best teams in the MLB this year. However, the Cubs have been dealing with inconsistent play and are struggling to stay afloat in the wildcard race. The Cubs did start this series with a win as well. Our MLB odds series has our Brewers-Cubs prediction, odds, and pick for Wednesday.
Brewers-Cubs Projected Starters
Jakob Junis vs. Justin Steele
Jakob Junis (3-0) with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP
Last Appearance: Pitched two innings and gave up three runs on two hits with zero walks and one strikeout in a Brewers win.
2024 Road Splits: (2-0) 4.66 ERA
Justin Steele (2-4) with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched 4.2 innings and gave up five runs on nine hits with two walks and six strikeouts in a Cubs loss.
2024 Home Splits: (1-3) 3.86 ERA
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Brewers-Cubs Odds
Milwaukee Brewers: +1.5 (-188)
Moneyline: +120
Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (+155)
Moneyline: -142
Over: 7.5 (-110)
Under: 7.5 (-110)
How to Watch Brewers vs. Cubs
Time: 2:20 pm ET
TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Brewers Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Brewers have been great this season and have a 57-43 record. They lost the first game of this series and it broke a previous three-game winning streak. Their offense has been great and is top five in the league, while their pitching is just outside the top 10 of the league as a unit. William Contreras, Rhys Hoskins, Sal Frelick, Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, and Willy Adames have led the way for the Brewers behind the plate, making this offense extremely hard to play against, regardless of the team. Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, and Tobias Myers have been the biggest keys on the mound with both being great and Robert Gasser has also been solid recently.
The Brewers have not announced who they are starting yet, but it will most likely be Jakob Junis. He has a 3-0 record, a 3.00 ERA, and a 1.00 WHIP. He has allowed nine runs on 17 hits with four walks and 17 strikeouts through 21 innings. In his eight appearances this season, the Brewers are 6-2. Junis has been solid in a limited capacity in the bullpen and as a starter on the mound.
The offense for the Brewers has been red-hot this season. The Brewers are fifth in team batting average at .254 and finished last year with the same average. William Contreras, Christian Yelich, and Willy Adames lead the Brewers in most batting categories. Christian Yelich leads in batting average at .316 and in OBP at .403. Then, Adames leads in home runs at 16 and in RBI. Finally, Contreras leads in total hits at 111. This offense has been one of the best in the MLB, but Justin Steele should be a challenge for them on the mound for the Cubs.
Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cubs have a 49-53 record this season. They have won two straight entering this game, including the first game in this series. They have struggled behind the plate and have shown no signs of improvement. In comparison, their pitching has been great, and is a top 10 unit. On offense, Michael Busch, Cody Bellinger, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Christopher Morel, Michael Tauchman, and Dansby Swanson make up an inconsistent and struggling offense. Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon are standouts for a pitching staff that has had to carry them at times due to how much the offense has struggled.
The Cubs are starting Justin Steele on the mound where he has a 2-4 record, a 3.07 ERA, and a 1.02 WHIP. He has allowed 38 runs on 73 hits with 20 walks and 87 strikeouts through 91 innings. In his 15 appearances this season, the Cubs are 5-10. Steele has been a bright spot this season but is not having the amazing year he had last year. He has a huge challenge against one of the hottest offenses in the MLB the Brewers.
The Cubs' offense has been inconsistent behind the plate and has struggled at times. They are 25th in team batting average at .233 after having a .254 average one season ago. The offense is led by Nico Hoerner, Christopher Morel, Ian Happ, and Michael Busch in most batting categories. Busch leads in batting average at .270 and in OBP at .357. Then, Morel leads in home runs at 18, Happ leads in RBI at 59, and Hoerner leads in total hits at 91. They get a challenge in this matchup against Jakob Junis who has been solid this year in the bullpen and as a starter even in a limited capacity.
Final Brewers-Cubs Prediction & Pick
The Brewers are the better team in this game. However, when it comes down to pitching, the Cubs have the advantage with Steele over Junis or another bullpen piece. The Brewers have a massive advantage behind the plate with all the Cubs' struggles. Still, expect Steele to keep this close and the Cubs should cover at home, even if the Brewers win outright.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Brewers-Cubs Prediction & Pick: Cubs -1.5 (+155)
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