The New York Mets will host the Chicago Cubs for the first of a four-game set at Citi Field. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Cubs-Mets prediction and pick.
This series will feature two division leaders and two of the best clubs in the National League. The Cubs just completed a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, while the Mets won two of three against the San Diego Padres over the weekend. Chicago swept the Mets back in April, so New York will look to bounce back with a series win of their own.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Cubs-Mets odds.
MLB Odds: Cubs-Mets Odds
Chicago Cubs +1.5 (-197)
New York Mets -1.5 (+172)
Over 9 Runs (+108)
Under 9 Runs (-128)
Why The Cubs Could Cover The Spread
The Cubs are one of the hottest teams in all of baseball and everything seems to be clicking for them right now. They just completed a three-game sweep of the suddenly spiraling Cardinals and will bring that momentum into a tough series against the Mets' lethal pitching staff. Chicago has a blistering 36-28 record against the spread this season.
The Cubs have won 19 of their last 26 games, which makes them a great money line play as well. Chicago has been so successful lately thanks in large part to their offensive production. They are averaging 4.62 runs per game, which is 10th in the majors. After the awful start to the season, the Cubs have seemed to figure out how to get back to their old ways at the plate.
Chicago will turn to right-hander Jake Arrieta for the series opener. Arrieta is coming off a strong bounce-back start in which he held the Padres to one run over five innings of work. He is now 5-6 with a 4.97 ERA and 48 strikeouts through his first 12 starts of the season. The right-hander is 3-3 with a 6.40 ERA through seven road starts this season.
Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread
The Mets are winning games and should only get better given all the injuries they have been dealing with. They're coming off of a series win against the juggernaut Padres and are now comfortably sitting atop the National League East New York has one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball led by MVP candidate Jacob deGrom.
New York is averaging just 3.84 runs on 7.58 hits per game, which is good for 27th and 22nd in the majors, respectively. The lineup has really struggled this season thanks to the plethora of injuries. Despite the struggles, the Mets have performed very well at home with a record of 6-1 in their last seven games at Citi Field. The elite pitching staff is certainly doing a great job of holding down the fort.
New York will turn to left-hander David Peterson for the series opener. New York is giving Peterson an extended opportunity in the rotation despite his struggles. The southpaw has a whopping 9.88 ERA through his last four starts coming in. Peterson will certainly have to turn this around soon if he wants to keep his spot in the rotation going forward. He is currently 1-5 with a 6.32 ERA and 53 strikeouts through his first 11 starts of the season.
Final Cubs-Mets Prediction & Pick
This game features a horrible pitching matchup and a disparity on the offensive end. I'm giving the edge to the Cubs in the series opener for a few key reasons. They possess a much more productive lineup and actually have the edge on the bump as well. David Peterson is a project who seems to be failing miserably, and the Cubs feast against struggling starters. New York is depleted and failing to get anything going at the plate. The Cubs will get a convincing win at Citi Field.
FINAL PICK: Chicago Cubs ML (+106)
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