The Chicago Cubs will close out their four-game series with the San Francisco Giants on Thursday at Oracle Park. We're here to share our MLB odds series, make a Cubs-Giants prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.

Cubs-Giants Projected Starters 

Shota Imanaga vs. Jordan Hicks

Shota Imanaga (7-2) with a 2.96 ERA

Last Start: Imanaga had his first bad start of his career when he allowed 10 earned runs on 11 hits in a loss to the New York Mets in his last outing. Now, he hopes to bounce back in a showdown with the Giants.

2024 Road Splits: Imanaga has done well on the road, going 4-1 with a 2.60 ERA over six road starts.

Jordan Hicks (4-1) with a 3.24 ERA

Last Start: Hicks struggled in his last outing, going four innings while allowing five earned runs on six hits while striking out one and walking three in a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Curiously, he faced the Cubs 10 days ago, tossing five shutout innings while allowing four hits, striking out four, and walking four in a no-decision.

2024 Home Splits: Hicks has done better at home, going 2-2 with a 2.86 ERA over eight starts at Oracle Park.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Cubs-Giants Odds

Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (+142)

Moneyline: -108

San Francisco Giants: +1.5 (-172)

Moneyline: -108

Over: 7.5 (-110)

Under: 7.5 (-110)

How to Watch Cubs vs. Giants

Time: 3:45 PM ET/12:45 PM PT

TV: MLB Network

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Cubs need some help getting runs across the plate. Unfortunately, it has been challenging for them as they have struggled to mount any offense.

The Cubs rank 25th in batting average. They are also 14th in on-base percentage, 19th in runs, 22nd in home runs, and 26th in slugging percentage. Therefore, they need better production from some of their key players.

Nico Hoerner is supposed to be among the more productive hitters in the lineup. Yet, he has dealt with injuries and is only batting .242 with two home runs, 18 RBIs, and 37 runs. Dansby Swanson has not displayed the power the Cubs expected of him. He is hitting .217 with eight home runs, 26 RBIs, and 31 runs. But Cody Bellinger has done his job. Ultimately, he is batting .273 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and 32 runs. Ian Happ has been the opposite. Unfortunately, he is hitting just .226 with nine home runs, 40 RBIs, and 38 runs.

The Cubs' pitching has been solid, but there has also been some inconsistency. Overall, they are 15th in team ERA. But the real problems stem from a very bad bullpen. Unfortunately, their relievers are 24th in team ERA.

The Cubs will cover the spread if their top hitters can produce. Then, they need a good outing from Imanaga as he looks to put his last start behind him.

Why The Giants Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Giants have been slightly better on offense this season. Regardless, there is still some work as they face off against the Cubs on Thursday in the Bay.

San Francisco ranks 12th in batting average and 11th in on-base percentage. Furthermore, the Giants are 14th in runs, 19th in home runs, and 17th in slugging percentage.

The offense has suffered a little since Lamonte Wade Jr. went out with an injury. Now, they need their other players to contribute. Wilmer Flores is batting just .211 with four home runs, 25 RBIs, and 19 runs. Therefore, he needs to do more at the plate to boost the offense. Thairo Estrada has struggled. So far, he is hitting .236 with nine home runs, 39 RBIs, and 40 runs. Matt Chapman is not hitting as powerfully as he once did. He is batting .234 with nine home runs, 33 RBIs, and 51 runs. Michael Conforto is also struggling. Substantially, he is hitting just .230 with eight home runs, 27 RBIs, and 22 runs.

The Giants' pitching has not been great this season. Sadly, their team ERA is just 25th. The relievers have not been much better. So far, they are 21st in team ERA.

The Giants will cover the spread if they can continue getting at least 5-6 runs. Thus, this requires hitting the baseball off Imanaga and not allowing him to be comfortable.

Final Cubs-Giants Prediction & Pick

The Cubs did not start this series well. Sadly, they have not been able to do enough on offense to give their team a chance to win. Scoring one run will not get the job done. Regardless, Imanaga is a great pitcher, despite how badly he did in his last outing. We will give him the benefit of the doubt, as he has pitched well all season. Expect Imanaga to recover from his bad outing and dominate this inconsistent San Francisco lineup. The Cubs cover the spread on the road.

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Final Cubs-Giants Prediction & Pick: Chicago Cubs -1.5 (+142)