GAME:  #961 Brewers @ #962 Cubs
DATE:    7/24/2020 – 7:10p EST
ODDS:   Brewers +105 / Cubs -105
O/U:       8.5

The Milwaukee Brewers take a trip down I-94 to Wrigley Field to face their rival, the Chicago Cubs, for their first games of the season. The Brewers have righty Brandon Woodruff taking the mound while the Cubs have righty Kyle Hendricks on the bump. In the last 10 meetings between the Cubs and the Brewers they have split going 5-5. The Brewers have downgraded quite a bit since last season losing Moustakas, Thames, Grandal, and a few pitchers. The Cubs haven’t upgraded at any position and have a completely different look in the bullpen so this should be an interesting matchup this season. 

WEATHER baseball-weather.com

Keep an eye on the Wrigley Weather as Winds shift often.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Brandon Woodruff takes the mound for the Brewers today.  Woodruff had a 3.62 ERA while going 11-3 on the season. Woodruff tends to give Baez, Rizzo, and Schwarber problems but struggles against Bryant, Caratini, and Contreras. The Brewers have Christian Yelich leading the way and has a lifetime average of .250 against Hendricks.  Ryan Braun has not been playing much in the preseason however he has said he will be ready, you can expect him to be less than 100%.  Hiura and Gamel lead the way in batting average but only have 2 at-bats against Hendricks with 1 hit each.  

CHICAGO CUBS

Kyle Hendricks gets the opening day start for the Cubs.  Hendricks had a 3.46 ERA last season going 11-10. Hendricks didn’t have a good season last year and he also didn’t get very much run support in the 10 losses even though he posted quality starts in most of them.  Hendricks struggled with the players that departed the Brewers and he should have a good game today against this new Brew Crew. Look for Contreras to have a big game today as he smashed 2 homeruns in their final exhibition game and he has a batting average of .500 against Woodruff but with only 2 at-bats. 

BATTER VS PITCHER dailybaseballdata.com

STARTING LINEUPS baseballpress.com

The starting lineups are unavailable at this time but you will want to check them 2-4 hours before game time before placing final wagers to ensure the right players are playing.  You don’t want to have a Juan Soto situation. 

INJURY REPORT(covers.com)

TRENDS(covers.com)

MILWAUKEE

• Under is 5-0 in Brewers last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
• Under is 3-0-1 in the Brewers last 4 road games with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
• Brewers are 5-0 in Woodruff’s last 5 Friday starts.
• Brewers are 0-4 in their last 4 games vs. a right-handed starter.
• Brewers are 0-4 in their last 4 road games vs. a right-handed starter.

CUBS

• Over is 4-0 in the Cubs last 4 overall.
• Over is 7-0 in Cubs last 7 during game 1 of a series.
• Over is 4-0 in the Cubs last 4 on grass.
• Over is 4-0 in Hendricks’ last 4 starts on grass.
• Over is 4-0 in Cubs last 4 vs. National League Central.

HEAD TO HEAD

• Brewers are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
• Brewers are 2-6 in the last 8 meetings in Chicago.
• Under is 18-7-1 in the last 26 meetings in Chicago.
• Under is 36-14-1 in the last 51 meetings.

BREWERS vs CUBS PREDICTION

The Cubs had a bad 2019 season while the biggest problems in the bullpen may not be solvable but it will come down to their offensive production. The Brewers and the Cubs were almost equal teams last season but this year the Brewers have downgraded their entire lineup including their pitching staff. The Bookie expects the Cubs to come out strong in their home opener to produce enough offense to get the Win. 

The public is all over the Brewers because they have lost all faith in the Cubs ability to score and their bullpen problems. This reaction is 100% expected and justified however if you have been following both teams up until this point, the Cubs are in much better shape.  The Bookie is taking the home fav’s in this one with the Cubs. The public has been pounding the Brewers all morning causing the line to move in favor of Cubs bettors. The Sharps have been hitting both sides with most of the money coming in on the Brew Crew.  

The Bookie:        Cubs -105  (Kyle Hendricks – Listed Pitcher)
Fade the Public:  Cubs -105
Sharp Action:       Brewers +105

1.05  Unit(s) to win 1 Unit(s) on:  (#962) Chicago Cubs with Kyle Hendricks as the Listed Pitcher