The Chicago Cubs head to Citizens Bank Park on Monday night to open a three-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies, with both clubs sitting at 7-8 and looking to gain traction early in the season. Chicago is coming off a dramatic comeback win over Pittsburgh, while Philadelphia dropped a tight game to Arizona on Sunday. With two evenly matched teams and strong starting pitching on both sides, this Cubs vs Phillies game is expected to be highly competitive throughout.
Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Pick
- Pick: Cubs +1.5
- Confidence: 3 out of 5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies
- Date & Time: Monday, April 13, 2026, 6:40 PM
- Starting Pitchers: Javier Assad vs Cristopher Sanchez
- Stadium: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
- Broadcast: FS1
Key Storylines
- The Cubs enter after a morale-boosting comeback win, rallying from multiple deficits to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- The Phillies have lost 4 of their last 5 despite solid starting pitching performances, including losses in two of their last three games to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- Both teams share identical records and similar offensive production, making pitching the likely deciding factor. Both starting pitchers have been solid to start the season and will try to continue their strong starts to the year in this contest.
Pitching Matchup
- Javier Assad has been excellent in limited work, posting a 0.00 ERA and a 0.53 WHIP in his first appearance.
- Cristopher Sanchez has been sharp with a 1.65 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 16.1 innings.
- Sanchez brings more proven durability early in the season, working deeper into games than Assad. But both of these men are capable of shutting down opposing lineups, as we have seen in their initial starts to the year.
Key Players
- Nico Hoerner leads the Cubs with a .316 average and strong on-base numbers.
- Ian Happ provides power with 4 home runs despite a lower batting average. He is hitting under .200 early in the year, which is concerning, but he has also been one of the few sources of consistent power for his team.
- Bryce Harper anchors the Phillies lineup with 3 home runs and 10 RBI.
- Kyle Schwarber adds power with 4 home runs, but also has a high strikeout rate.
Recent Team Streaks
- The Cubs are 3-2 in their last 5 games and snapped a two-game losing streak last time out.
- The Phillies are 1-4 in their last 5 games.
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first of seven times that these teams will play in the month of April.
- The Cubs have gone 8-6-1 to the over early in the season.
- Philadelphia is 7-7-1 in the over/under market on the year.
Cubs vs Phillies Model Projection
- Score Projection: Cubs 4 - Phillies 5
- Win Probability: Cubs 43%, Phillies 57%
This game shapes up as a pitching-focused contest early, with both Assad and Sanchez capable of limiting damage. However, Sanchez has already logged over 16 innings with consistent command and strikeout production, giving him a reliability edge. Assad has been impressive, but the sample size remains small, and facing a lineup featuring Harper and Schwarber on the road is a tougher test. I think the Phillies have a slight edge, but not enough for them to win by multiple runs, as I'll take the runline with the Cubbies on the road.
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