Taillon Gives Visiting Cubs an Edge vs Mets
The Chicago Cubs and New York Mets will meet for the first time this season when they begin a four-game series on Monday. Chicago will try to put an end to its two-game losing skid when it continues its road trip against the Mets, who have also slipped recently, falling in five of their last seven games. Both teams will be hoping to turn things around and climb the rankings of their respective divisions, with the Cubs just a half-game out of first in the National League Central and New York third in the NL East. However, despite the Mets favored in the series opener, the Cubs should be a solid underdog MLB moneyline pick on the road.
Cubs vs Mets Game Information
- Game: Cubs (17-11) vs Mets (14-13)
- Location: Citi Field, Queens, NY
- Day/Time: Monday, April 29, 7:10 p.m. ET
- Cubs vs Mets Live Stream: MLB.tv
Cubs vs Mets Moneyline Odds and Run Line
Cubs vs Mets Betting Trends
- Chicago is 4-1 in its last 5.
- New York is 1-5 in its last 6.
- This season, Chicago has won 10 out of the 18 games, or 55.6%, in which it has been the underdog.
- The Mets have been favored on the moneyline 13 total times this season. They’ve finished 6-7 in those games.
- The Cubs have played as underdogs in four of their past 10 games and have gone 3-1 in those contests.
Taillon Shining for Cubs
The Cubs should get out to a solid start behind the pitching of starter Jameson Taillon, who has gotten his season off to a hot start.
Taillon is 2-0, winning both of his starts, boasting a 1.69 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Though he has yet to pitch on the road this year, Taillon has allowed just two earned runs while throwing eight strikeouts in 10 ⅔ innings.
One of those performances came against a top-five offense in the Houston Astros, who are third in MLB with a .264 batting average, though Taillon held them to seven hits in 5 ⅔ innings. With Taillon also performing well historically against the Mets, holding them to a .206 batting average, he should get Chicago off on the right foot.
Offense Laboring for Mets
Aside from going up against a talented starter in Taillon, the Mets may also struggle after having lost five of their last seven games.
New York is 17th in the MLB with a .243 batting average, and that middling offense has been a reason for its losses lately. In their last seven games, the Mets have averaged three runs a game, while they have scored just 1.8 runs a game in their five losses, getting shut out once as well.
The Mets have even struggled to hit at home lately. In their latest series against the Cardinals, they finished with a .217 batting average over the three games while averaging 9.3 strikeouts. In fact, New York has performed worse at the plate at home with a .222 batting average and .348 slugging percentage compared to its .269 and .423 averages, respectively, on the road. The Mets’ current issues may keep up with Taillon’s hot start and their struggles at home.
Roll with Cubs as a Solid Underdog on the Road
The Cubs have dropped two in a row in Boston, but they have a good chance at getting back on track against New York, where MLB odds have them as a slight underdog.
Though Taillon should match up well with New York starter Luis Severino, where Chicago should have the upper hand is at the plate. The Mets’ offense has been inconsistent this season and they’re likely to face more trouble against Taillon, while Chicago has been able to find some offensive success recently even without heavy hitter Cody Bellinger.
The Cubs have averaged 4.2 runs a game in their last two series, and that should help make the difference for them to take the series opener.
Prediction: Chicago Cubs down Mets in opener (+110)
Questions Of The Day
What is Chicago's record on the road?
The Cubs are 7-8 on the road this season.
How many games will Chicago and New York play in this series?
The Cubs and Mets will play a four-game series.
