The Milwaukee Brewers (7-9) begin a four-game series Thursday with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Brewers were smashed 12-2 in the final game of the home series they lost to the Twins. Milwaukee has a lot of work to do in order to compete in the piranha tank of the NL Central. If the St. Louis Cardinals get to play, they are a legitimate threat to win the division. The Cincinnati Reds are underachieving, but that trend isn’t likely to last. And what about the Cubbies?
The Chicago Cubs (12-3) are the most dominant team in MLB. The Cubs just completed a two-game beatdown of the Cleveland Indians, a legit contender, by a total score of 14-3. The Cubbies bashed the Indians on their own turf. A successful homestand against a mediocre Brewers ballclub will give Chicago a bigger lead in the standings.
In this article, we’ll breakdown the stats for the Brewers and Cubs, while offering a sports betting preview. We have all the MLB betting odds you’ll need at our sportsbook.
Brewers at Cubs: Offensive Stats Breakdown
Batting Avg. Runs HRs RBIs Total Bases OPS
Brewers | .220(24th) | 62 (24th) | 17 (24th) | 62 (23rd) | 194 (24th) | .668(26th) |
Cubs | .244(11th) | 79 (19th) | 22 (16th) | 74 (20th) | 214 (21st) | .775(5th) |
Even though the Cubs are middling in many stat categories (or worse), the Brewers’ offensive production is lagging way behind. A Milwaukee fan might be tempted to go to the online casino and play black 24 on the roulette wheel. Twenty-four seems to be the Brewers’ number, and black because the hitters obviously can’t see very well.
The Cubs haven’t been offensive juggernauts, but the OPS of .775 stands out and is significant. For the Cubs team as a whole to have an above-average, on-base percentage + slugging percentage, is a testament to the lineup’s ability to both get on base and hit for power. The Cubbies are making the most out of their at-bats.
Brewers at Cubs: Pitching Stats Breakdown
ERA OBA WHIP Ks Quality Starts
Brewers | 4.22 (14th) | .231 (11th) | 1.27 (12th) | 167 (8th) | 3 (T-20th) |
Cubs | 4.00 (8th) | .216 (6th) | 1.14 (4th) | 123 (26th) | 11 (2nd) |
The Brewers; pitching stats are solid relative to their offensive numbers. However, the only stat category that Milwaukee leads Chicago in, either offensively or defensively, is the number of strikeouts. It makes one think that Brewers’ pitchers may be putting the ball over the plate too much. So, though Milwaukee pitchers are striking hitters out, they’re also exposing themselves to damage with their pitch positioning.
Look at the difference in Ks and quality starts. The Brewers are ranked eighth in Ks but tied for 20th in quality starts. Meanwhile, the Cubs are 26th in strikeouts but are ranked second in quality starts. The Chicago starters get batters out and go deep into games without relying on the power of strikeouts. Perhaps Cubs pitchers manage the mental chess match differently, employing various tricks and techniques to get players out. Whatever it is the Chicago Cubs are doing, it’s working.
Brewers at Cubs: Sports Betting Preview
The Cubs are 7-1 at home. The Brewers are walking into a buzzsaw and will be lucky to leave Wrigley Field with one win. When betting on MLB, we are mainly focused on the starting pitching matchups. Chicago starters have a tendency to make quality starts, so this makes betting on the Cubs extremely logical. If you’re not sure about teams covering the spread but have a strong feeling that a team will win, bet the moneyline. You’ll get paid out less money when you win, but a win is a win. Gimme them Ducketts!