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The Chicago Cubs (37-42) and San Francisco Giants (37-42) meet Tuesday as they continue a 4-game series. First pitch from Oracle Park is slated for 9:45 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Cubs vs. Giants odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: tied 2-2
Chicago spit the bit on a mid-game 4-0 lead and lost Monday’s series opener 5-4. Two Cubs relievers were touched up for 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th as Chicago lost for the 3rd time in its last 4 games.
San Francisco snapped a 5-game losing streak with Monday’s walk-off victory. Giants pitching had logged a 6.21 ERA over its previous 7 games.
Cubs at Giants projected starters
RHP Kyle Hendricks vs. RHP Randy Rodriguez
Hendricks (1-4, 7.46 ERA) is making his 9th start and 14th appearance. He has a 1.58 WHIP, 2.8 BB/9 and 6.9 K/9 through 50 2/3 innings.
- Last start: Win, 5 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 8 K in 6-5 home win vs. Giants Wednesday — his only outing vs. San Francisco this season
- Career vs. Giants (regular season): 7-2, 2.30 ERA (82 IP, 21 ER), 0.91 WHIP, 7.6 K/9 in 13 starts
- Allowed just 1 run in 14 1/3 innings this month for a 0.63 ERA (4 outings, including 1 start)
- Held current Giants batters to an aggregate .367 OPS, according to ESPN.com
Rodriguez (2-1, 4.82) is projected to make his 1st career start, which will likely be an “opener role.” The rookie has made 18 relief appearances since his MLB debut in early May. He has a 1.25 WHIP, a 2.9 BB/9 and a 10.0 K/9 in 28 innings. Rookie southpaws Erik Miller (2-2, 4.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) and LHP Carson Whisenhunt (2-3, 4.87 ERA, 1.57 WHIP at Triple-A) are possibilities to take the hill once Rodriguez is removed.
- Rodriguez’s last outing: No-decision in relief appearance, 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K in 5-3 loss at St. Louis Cardinals Sunday
- Career vs. Cubs: 1 outing, 1 blown save, 1 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 HR, 0 BB, 0 K in 7-6 win at Wrigley June 17
- Miller started Monday’s game, throwing 1 scoreless, hitless inning on 16 pitches; he walked 1 and didn’t have any K’s
- Whisenhunt is a 23-year-old who would be making his MLB debut
Who’s going yard? Here’s a breakdown of today’s best home run props with our top picks. Include the BetMGM bonus code SBWIRE to score a $1,500 first-bet offer.
Cubs at Giants odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:29 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Cubs +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Giants -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Cubs +1.5 (-200) | Giants -1.5 (+165)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Cubs at Giants picks and predictions
Prediction
Cubs 4, Giants 2
Moneyline
San Francisco does not have its best foot forward in the mound matchup. Hendricks has been undone by a .331 batting average on balls in play, but he has a fine history against the Giants.
Right-handers put the Giants on the wrong side of their platoon splits: they own a .758 OPS against lefties and a .678 figure against righties.
TAKE CUBS (+105).
Run line/Against the spread
The Cubs (+1.5, -200) play a ton of 1-run games and are a would-be play here. They’re 14-18 in such scenarios. But the -200 juice here is cutting too much into any leverage. PASS.
Over/Under
The total has gone Under in 12 of Chicago’s last 16 games.
With some Under lean coming from Hendricks (BABIP misfortune), both bullpens (both figure as slightly better than what’s indicated by their surface numbers) and recent solid work turned in by Giants relievers specifically, the UNDER 8 (-105) has some value in this one.
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