Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
It will be the finale of a four-game series in the Windy City as the Chicago Cubs (20-29) host the Milwaukee Brewers (32-19). The game will be played at Wrigley Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 8:05 pm ET.
After Milwaukee took the first two games of the series, the Cubs bounced back with a 8-7 win on Tuesday. Justin Steele went five innings, allowing three runs, but it was Mychal Givens who picked up the win after 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.
In the win, the Cubs hit three home runs, including an eighth-inning home run by Patrick Wisdom that proved to be the difference in the game.
For the Brewers, Eric Lauer went four innings, allowing three runs (two earned). It was Brad Boxberger who earned the loss, though, after giving up the eighth-inning home run.
Victor Caratini hit his fourth home run of the season in the loss for Milwaukee. Christian Yelich, Rowdy Tellez, and Caratini all had two hits apiece Tuesday.
The Brewers are the slight favorites playing on the road Wednesday. They are -118 to win while the Cubs’ moneyline sits at +100. The runline features Chicago +1.5 (-182), and the over/under for total runs is eight.
Brewers Look To Rookie To Secure Series Win
After letting their late lead slip away Monday night, the Brewers will look to pick up the series win on Tuesday. To do so, though, they will be relying on a rookie to take care of business on the mound.
The Brewers have selected the contract of righty Jason Alexander to make his major league debut. The 29-year-old has gone 6-2 with a 2.64 ERA this season in Triple-A.
Having won six of their last 10, the Brewers have been solid both at home (14-6) and on the road (18-13) this year. They will hope to pick up the win Wednesday to try to extend their current three-game lead in the NL Central.
Leading the offense for the Brewers is first baseman Rowdy Tellez. This season, he is hitting .247/.309/.500 with a team-leading ten home runs and 36 runs batted in.
Against the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks, both Christian Yelich and Jace Peterson have had success. In 42 at bats, Yelich is hitting .238 with two home runs and five runs batted in. Not to be outdone, Peterson is hitting .353 in 17 at bats with two home runs and four runs batted in.
Cubs Have To Improve At Home
At 20-29, the Cubs currently find themselves 11 games back of the Brewers for first in the division. However, it has been their play at Wrigley (8-17) that has been their downfall, as they are .500 (12-12) on the road.
Chicago will counter on the mound with righty Kyle Hendricks. This season, Hendricks is 2-5 with a 5.20 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and has 36 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched. He has picked up back-to-back losses and has given up.
Catcher Willson Contreras continues to have a strong season. A prime trade candidate this season, Contreras is hitting .271/.393/.514 with eight home runs, 18 runs batted in, and a team-leading 30 runs scored in just 144 at bats.
Aside from Contreras, third baseman Patrick Wisdom has probably been their best hitter. He is currently hitting .235/.306/.500 with a team-leading 11 home runs and 26 runs batted in.
Hard To Bet Against The Brewers In Finale
The Cubs do have some momentum coming into the finale Wednesday, given their late-game win on Tuesday, but it is still hard to bet against Milwaukee in this one.
In their last 20 games against the Cubs, they are 15-5 overall, and they are 9-3 in their last 12 games at Wrigley Field.
Furthermore, Kyle Hendricks has just not looked like himself this season. As someone who relies on perfect control to find success, Hendricks has been roughed up on numerous occasions this season.
It will be interesting to see how Jason Alexander handles his first start, but despite having to trust a rookie, there is still value in taking Milwaukee in this one.
