Chicago Cubs (57-75) vs. Minnesota Twins (58-73)
September 1, 2021 8:10 pm EDT
The Line: Minnesota Twins -222 / Chicago Cubs +160; Over/Under: +8
(Get latest betting odds)
The Chicago Cubs and the Minnesota Twins meet Wednesday in MLB action from Target Field. This will be the second installment in a quick two-game set between these teams this week. In the opener Tuesday, Chicago managed a two-run victory. Check back all season long for free MLB picks at Sports Chat Place.
Chicago played the White Sox over the weekend, winning Saturday 7-0 but otherwise falling 17-13 and 13-1 in the remaining pair. In the Tuesday matchup, the Cubs jumped out to an early lead and hung on for a 3-1 win. Starter Zach Davies lasted 4.1 innings with one earned on six hits.
For the starting pitcher slot in the Wednesday game, the Cubs will send out Justin Steele. In his 26.0 innings this year Steele has 22 hits, 13 runs (12 earned), six homers allowed, 13 walks, 32 Ks and a 4.15 ERA.
Over on the Twins’ side, they played a one-off game versus the Tigers on Monday, eking out a 3-2 win. In the Tuesday game versus the Cubs, Minnesota had nine hits but couldn’t translate them to the scoreboard. John Gant posted two earned on three hits in 5.0 frames.
For the starter job in the Wednesday game, the Twins will bring out Joe Ryan. This will be Ryan’s Major-League debut.
The Cubs are 15-42 in their last 57 overall and 8-23 in their last 31 road games. The under is 3-0-1 in Chicago’s last four in game two of a series and 3-1-3 in their last seven Wednesday games.
Meanwhile, the Twins are 5-2 in the last seven in game two of a series and 12-30 in their last 42 versus a lefty starter. The over is 4-1-1 in Minnesota’s last six Wednesday games and 26-8-2 in their last 36 in game two of a series.
PICK: I’m going to try the Cubs here, but probably staying away. Steele has had mixed results in his last three outings, posting a total of nine earned runs on 15 hits, four homers and six walks across 12.2 innings of work. That’s quite a contrast to his work earlier on in the season. In any case, I like Steele to get four or five decent innings in this one and put the Cubs in a position to eke out a win.
