Anyone looking at the MLB standings will know the Chicago Cubs didn’t want to let their Fourth of July game against the Milwaukee Brewers slip away. After the Cubs were able to score against Milwaukee’s usually tough-to-hit closer Josh Hader, Chicago blew a save of its own before losing 5-2 in extra innings.
The Cubs have narrowed the gap on the Pittsburgh Pirates for third place and are only a half-game back. Milwaukee is also not a team that wants to see winnable games slip away. The Brewers are 2.5 games up on second-place St. Louis. Milwaukee has started to surge, as the Brewers are 7-3 over their past 10 games.
Last game records
The Cubs lost 5-2 to Milwaukee in 10 innings Monday. Chicago is 32-48 this season, while the Brewers are 47-35.
Matchup information
Cubs vs Brewers Betting Analysis
Milwaukee Analysis
Jason Alexander, Milwaukee’s 29-year-old rookie, will be sent to the mound for the Brewers. Alexander will be making his eighth appearance of the year. He is 2-0 with a 3.82 ERA and has 15 strikeouts in 30.2 innings. Alexander hasn’t thrown more than five innings in a game since the Brewers’ 6-4 win over St. Louis June 23.
MLB odds show the Milwaukee offense has been more than productive so far this season. The Brewers have hit 114 home runs, which ranks third in the league. Milwaukee is also in the top 10 in MLB in OPS (.731, ninth) and runs per game (4.62, 10th).
Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez lead the team with 16 home runs apiece. Hunter Renfroe has also smashed 13 dingers.Hader has been busy this week, as he has pitched in the past two games. Hader recorded his 25th saves of the season Sunday against Pittsburgh, but blew a save in Game 1 vs. Chicago.
Chicago Analysis
The Cubs had to feel good Monday after an inside-the-park home run from Seiya Suzuki gave the Cubs the lead. However, Chicago wasn’t able to protect the lead in the bottom of the ninth and suffered a tough loss. Anyone making MLB picks today will need to try and guess what Kyle Hendricks will bring them.
Hendricks is 4-6 this season with a 5.78 ERA. But MLB matchups will show that when Hendricks has a bad ugly, things are more ugly than a typical bad night at the office. In his two previous matchups with Milwaukee, Hendricks allowed one run over 5.1 innings in a 5-4 win April 7 at Wrigley Field.
During Hendricks’ second outing against Milwaukee, he allowed six runs and seven hits in 4.1 innings of a 11-1 loss on April 29 in Milwaukee. He also allowed three runs against the Brewers June 1 at home. MLB stats show Chicago’s offense has lacked power for much of the year. The Cubs rank 18th in the MLB in home runs with 81.
Updates
Chicago catcher Wilson Contreras is listed as day-to-day. Milwaukee reported Renfroe, who is on the 10-day IL, resumed baseball activities Monday.
- Milwaukee is 37-45 against the run line.
- Chicago is 40-40 against the run line.
- The Brewers are 27-19 straight up following a win.
- The Cubs are 18-28 straight up following a loss.
- The over is 41-36-5 in Milwaukee’s games this season.
- The over is 39-38-3 in Chicago’s games this season.
Cubs vs Brewers Betting preview
MLB odds have the Brewers as -137 favorites. The Chicago Cubs are +116 on the Moneyline. The over/under has been set at 9.0 runs.
Cubs vs Brewers Betting prediction
Alexander has gotten off to a good start in his MLB experience with the limited experience he’s had on the mound. The question for him will be how long before the book gets out on him? Chicago may not have the offensive makeup to give him serious headaches, but Milwaukee has the production on offense to give him time to develop.
This game may be interesting if it’s close late due to Hader’s workload over the past two outings. However, Milwaukee should be able to find a way to put pressure on Hendricks, who the Milwaukee Brewers have had a chance to see plenty of this season. Milwaukee will slam the door on the Cubs with a second straight win.
How to bet on Cubs vs Brewers
Bet Cubs -137.
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