Miami Marlins (4-15) vs. Chicago Cubs (11-7)
April 18, 2024 7:40 pm EDT
The Line: Chicago Cubs -150 / Miami Marlins +130; Over/Under: +7.5
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article we will formulate a Cubs vs Marlins prediction for this MLB game on Thursday, April 18th at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Let’s take a look at Game 1 in this series.
Cubs Preview
The Chicago Cubs are 11-7 this season and they have won four of their last five games. Chicago is coming off of a series win against the Diamondbacks, where they won two out of three games on the road. Prior to that series, the Cubs won two out of three against the Mariners and lost two out of three to the Padres. The Chicago pitching staff has a 4.31 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and a .234 opponent batting average. The Cubs offense has scored 101 runs with a .247 batting average and a .327 on base percentage. Michael Busch is batting .317 with six home runs and 13 RBI’s for the Cubs. The projected starting pitcher for Chicago is Jameson Taillon, who is making his first start of the season. The Cubs will face the Astros and Red Sox following this series.
Marlins Preview
The Miami Marlins are 4-15 this year and they have lost three of their last four games. Miami is coming off of a series loss to the Giants, where they lost two out of three games. Prior to that series, the Marlins lost two out of three against the Braves and Yankees. The Miami pitching staff has a 4.84 ERA, a 1.53 WHIP, and a .264 opponent batting average. The Marlins offense has scored 70 runs with a .216 batting average and a .279 on base percentage. Bryan De La Cruz is batting .288 with three home runs and 10 RBI’s for the Marlins. The projected starting pitcher for Miami is A.J. Puk, who is 0-3 with a 5.91 ERA and a 2.44 WHIP over 10.2 innings pitched this year.
Chicago Cubs Team Facts
- The Cubs have won each of their last six home games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Cubs have covered the run line in eight of their last nine games after playing the previous day.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the last 12 night games between the Marlins and Cubs at Wrigley Field.
- The Cubs have led after 7 innings in each of their last six home games against opponents that held a losing record.
Miami Marlins Team Facts
- The Marlins have lost seven of their last eight games against NL Central opponents.
- The Marlins have covered the run line in each of their last six games following a loss.
- The Marlins have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last five night games against National League opponents that held a winning record.
- The Marlins have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last five night games against National League opponents that held a winning record.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Marlins’ last 12 night games at Wrigley Field.
Cubs vs Marlins Prediction
Chicago comes into this series playing very well to start the season and their offense has been great early on. Miami has really struggled during the first few weeks of the season and they have one of the worst team ERA’s in all of baseball. The Marlins are also only hitting .216 as a team, so they are struggling with everything right now. Miami is starting A.J. Puk, who has allowed five earned runs and 12 hits over 10.2 innings pitched in three starts. The Cubs are going with Jameson Taillon, who is coming off of the IL for his first start. Taillon didn’t have the best 2023, as he had a 4.84 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP over 154.1 innings pitched. I know the Marlins haven’t hit the ball very well, but I think Taillon could run into some issues here, while Chicago should do damage against Puk. Take the over here.
