Chicago Visits First-Place Brewers For Three-Game Series
Cubs vs Brewers MLB Odds: Milwaukee Favored in Opener
The Chicago Cubs snapped a four-game losing streak Thursday and now face the Brewers in Milwaukee for three games. Chicago is tied for fourth place in the NL Central, 10.5 games behind the Brewers.
Milwaukee was off Thursday and brings a four-game winning streak into Friday’s contest. The Cubs vs Brewers odds have Colin Rea -135 over Jameson Taillon and the total is 8.5-over (-112).
- Milwaukee is +150 on the run line (-1.5).
The Cubs are 38-44 on the season and part of that has to do with an offense that is scoring just 4.1 runs per game. Chicago is No. 24 in team batting average and No. 20 in home runs.
The Cubs don’t show much difference in home or away scoring. Runs don’t come easy for the team regardless of the location.
The pitching staff hasn’t been anything to get excited about and is pretty average at No. 14 in team ERA. The relief pitchers have been pretty bad and have fared worse on the road. Chicago has 18 saves and 16 blown saves, so it’s not closing out games with a chance to win.
The Brewers are 48-33 and have a 6.0-game lead in the NL Central, as all of the NL MLB divisions see the leaders comfortably in front. Milwaukee is scoring 4.8 runs per game and 5.2 runs when at home.
The Brewers are No. 6 in team batting average and No. 15 in home runs, so they can get on base and have average power.
The pitching staff is No. 9 in team ERA and the bullpen has done a pretty solid job. The Brewers have 29 saves and just eight blown saves overall.
At home, Milwaukee’s bullpen has converted 14 of 17 save opportunities. The bullpen is a key reason why the Brewers are overwhelming favorites in the MLB playoff odds.
Game 1
Cubs vs Brewers 
Records: Chicago Cubs (38-44), Milwaukee Brewers (48-33)
Day/Time:
Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Streaming: MLB Network
Friday’s Game
Taillon has pitched well for the Cubs but is getting no help from his teammates. He’s 4-3 with a 2.90 ERA and Chicago is 6-6 when he starts. The Cubs are just 1-4 when Taillon starts on the road despite his 2.79 away ERA. He’s pitched even better as of late, but it hasn’t helped. The Cubs are 1-2 in his last three starts where he has a 1.42 ERA.
Rea has been pretty decent for the Brewers, going 5-2 with a 3.86 ERA. At home, the Brewers are 6-1 with Rea on the mound and his ERA is 2.76. Milwaukee is 4-3 in totals at home when Rea pitches.
The MLB odds are fairly reasonable here for the Brewers, but the best wager in this game is likely going to be under 8.5.
Saturday’s Game
The Cubs vs Brewers odds should see Milwaukee as mid-sized favorites in this one. Justin Steele makes the start for Chicago against Tobias Myers. Steele has been one of the hard-luck pitchers of 2024.
He’s 0-3 with a 3.50 ERA and the Cubs are just 2-9 when he starts. Chicago has lost all six MLB games Steele has started on the road, although his ERA in those games is a solid 3.00. The Cubs are 0-6 in one-run games with Steele on the mound.
Myers is 4-2 with a 3.18 ERA and the Brewers are 6-4 when he starts and 3-1 when he starts at home. He’s had a couple of rough starts at home, so those numbers are worse than his away numbers. The Brewers are winning when he starts, which is all they’re concerned with.
Stelle’s away numbers are better than what Myers has done at home, but it’s impossible to ignore the difference in team records with today’s pitchers on the mound. Take the Brewers to get the win here.
Sunday’s Game
A pair of veterans Kyle Hendricks and Freddy Peralta take the mound in Sunday’s finale. The Cubs vs Brewers odds should see Milwaukee as a mid-sized favorite.
The line might be a bit higher than the first two games. Hendricks has had his share of problems this season, going 1-5 with an 8.10 ERA. His last two starts haven’t been bad, but he’s a better pitcher than he’s shown this season. Chicago is 3-6 when he starts and 1-4 when he starts on the road.
Peralta is having another good year for the Brewers. He’s 5-4 with a 4.03 ERA, but Milwaukee is 11-5 when he starts and 5-2 when he starts at home. His away numbers are a little better than what he’s done at home and all seven home starts have landed over the total.
The MLB schedule 2024 has the Brewers hitting the road for a seven-game road trip after this game, so they’ll look to leave home on a high note. It’s a bit of a tough game from a betting perspective, so the best move could be to follow the trends and take the over.
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