The Milwaukee Brewers take on the Chicago Cubs. Check out our MLB odds series for our Brewers Cubs prediction and pick.
Jason Alexander gets the ball for the Brewers, while Kyle Henricks gets the assignment for the Cubs.

Jason Alexander is making his big-league debut for the Brewers, with Brandon Woodruff injured. Milwaukee has a gap in its starting rotation, so it needs to see what Alexander is capable of. This is an element of mystery in a Brewers Cubs prediction you might make.

Kyle Hendricks has a 5.20 ERA. He has been disappointing for Chicago this year. He is not an overpowering pitcher, so he will give up plenty of base hits. He depends on making sure that opposing hitters hit singles against him, instead of barrelling up the bat and getting doubles or homers against him. Allowing 54 hits in 53 2/3 innings is not a crisis for Hendricks, though he would surely want his hits-per-inning number to be lower than one. What is really problematic for him is that he has allowed 11 home runs in those 53 2/3 innings, one homer in less than five innings pitched.

In his first four starts of the season, Hendricks allowed only one home run, but he has given up 10 homers in his last six starts. That's a disaster for him, and it's clearly the number one area he has to substantially improve. Right now, he is not the pitcher the Cubbies need him to be. He is not a positive reason to take Chicago when making a Brewers Cubs pick based on the current MLB odds.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Brewers-Cubs MLB odds.

MLB Odds: Brewers-Cubs Odds

Milwaukee Brewers: -1.5 (+142)

Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-172)

Over: 8.5 (-105)

Under: 8.5 (-115)

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Why The Brewers Could Cover the Spread

Milwaukee played atrocious defense and squandered a lead in Tuesday's 8-7 loss to the Cubs. It's precisely the kind of game which a good team shrugs off and wipes away from its memory. The Brew Crew will come back strong in this game, and if you think the Cubs have the advantage in the pitching matchup, realize that Kyle Hendricks has struggled this year. Jason Alexander does not have to be special to win this game. He just needs to be decent, something like five innings and two runs. Hendricks could serve up a few home runs. If either of them have men on base, the Brewers are going to take a 4-2 or 5-3 lead into the final few innings. They have Josh Hader, the best closer in baseball, waiting to close the door on the Cubs.

Why The Cubs Could Cover the Spread

After winning on Tuesday, the Cubs are going to feel better about themselves. They got swept in Monday's doubleheader and needed a pick-me-up moment. Those moments propel teams through whole weeks, not just a few games. The Cubs gained that moment and are now in position to ride momentum. Moreover, with an opposing pitcher making his big-league debut, Chicago has to feel confident that it can work some counts, wait for Jason Alexander to make a mistake, and pounce on hittable pitches over the middle third of the plate.

Final Brewers-Cubs Prediction & Pick

This is a stay-away game, since neither pitcher merits real trust. If you insist on making a pick, go conservative and take the Cubs plus a run and a half.

Final Brewers-Cubs Prediction & Pick: Cubs +1.5