The Chicago Cubs are 89 games into the season and need a big push in the second half. Check out Our MLB odds series as we hand out a Cubs over/under win total prediction and pick.

The Cubs are in third place in the NL Central, but trail by seven games. They started off the season hot, but have cooled down in a major way. Now under .500, the Cubs need a massive push in their final 73 games of the season if they want to finish strong and be a playoff team.

The Cubs are hitting .246 as a team, but Cody Bellinger has really picked up the slack. He is batting .298 with nine home runs and 29 RBI. However, Bellinger is currently batting .471 in the month of July with a .500 OBP and just two strikeouts in 34 at-bats. Nico Hoerner has the best batting average of all the qualified hitters on the Cubs, but is just 5-40 in July. The Cubs need to really turn it around offensively in the second half of the season if they want to finish above .500.

On the mound, the Cubs are right at 4.00 in the ERA category. They have a WHIP of 1.26 and their opponent batting average is top half of the league. Marcus Stroman and Justin Steele are the heart and soul of the rotation as they both have an ERA below 3.00. Stroman has 14 quality starts while Steele has 11. Hendricks has made just nine starts, but has been pretty good since his return to the mound. Chicago could use some more bullpen help, but they have a long way to go.

Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Chicago Cubs Win Total Odds

Over 78.5 games: -115

Under 78.5 games: -105

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Why The Cubs Will Win 78.5 Games

In order for the Cubs to win 79 games, they need to play around .500 baseball. A 37-36 record in their final 73 games will allow them to hit the over. They have not yet stated whether or not they will be buyers or sellers at the deadline, though. However, if Chicago decided to buy at the deadline, they have a plethora of minor league talent they can use to bait some teams into giving them the pitching and power bats they need. If they can add a power bat to the lineup and some solid relief pitching, the Cubs will be in good position to hit this over. Cody Bellinger, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki are all solid enough to help win ball games, but they need more if they want to get over the hump.

Looking at their schedule, the Cubs play the Boston Red Sox to open up a long home stand after the All-Star break is over. After that, Chicago welcomes the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals who are both under .500. They then play the Chicago White Sox and Cardinals again, so four of their next five series are against teams under .500. If the Cubs can win their division games and win just enough against the non-divisional opponents, they will finish with at least 79 wins.

Why The Cubs Won't Win 78.5 Games

Still looking at their schedule, the Cubs have some tough series in the second half of the season. They have to play the Cincinnati Reds eight times, the Atlanta Braves six times, the Arizona Diamondbacks seven times and they have a tough series against the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays, as well. That makes up 27 of their remaining 73 games. Chicago will need to win at least 12 of those games if they want to hit this over. However, it is very possible that Chicago could get super cold and win just eight or nine of those 27 games.

Another issue for Chicago is injuries. Swanson will be on the IL for the start of the Cubs home stand while Nick Madrigal dealing with a hamstring problem. Bellinger has spent time on the IL this season along with Yan Gomes, so their hitters have taken a beating. On the mound, Justin Steele has seen time on the IL and their bullpen is revolving door. If the Cubs do not stay healthy, there is not chance they will win enough games to hit the over.

Final Chicago Cubs Win Total Prediction and pick

It is easy to think the Cubs will play well enough to win 37 of their final 73 games. However, the trade deadline will determine everything. If the Cubs sell, this over is not hitting. However, with Stroman wanting to stay in Chicago and the Cubs playing well heading into the All-Star break, there is reason to believe they could be buyers. On that logic, I will be taking the Cubs to win at least 79 games this season.

Final Chicago Cubs Win Total Prediction and pick: Over 78.5 (-115)