There are only three games around the Major League Baseball on Monday, June 7, so it’s a quiet night for the MLB betting fans, but we’ll see a great battle at Petco Park in San Diego where the Padres host the Chicago Cubs for the opening contest of their three-game series in California.
Just five days ago, these two National League foes met in a three-game set at Wrigley Field in Chicago, and the Cubs swept the Padres (7-2, 4-3, and 6-1). Chicago was a slight underdog in two of those three games, while San Diego was listed at -134 in the opener.
This time, the Padres are -120 favorites to win the opening clash at home. The Cubs are +110 moneyline dogs with a total of 7.5 runs on BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Cubs were trying to avoid the sweep Sunday in San Francisco
After sweeping the Padres, the Chicago Cubs hit the road last Thursday to visit the San Francisco Giants for a four-game set. They were dominated by the Giants’ offense through the first three contests, yielding 19 runs in total and scoring 10 in a return, so the Cubs fell to 32-26 on the season, sharing the top spot in the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Excluding their Sunday’s game in San Francisco, the Cubs have won 14 of their last 20 games overall. They are tied-11th in the MLB in runs scored per game (4.57) while posting a .236/.315/.407 slash line. Over the last 15 days, the Cubs have recorded a .224 batting average (tied-18th in the majors) and a .691 OPS (17th).
Adbert Alzolay will take the mound Monday, and the 26-year-old righty has been sharp as of late, earning three wins in his previous four starts. Alzolay has allowed only one earned run over his last two outings and 10.2 frames of work while recording 13 strikeouts. He’s 4-4 with a 3.62 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 58/11 K/BB ratio in ten starts this season.
Alzolay tossed five innings of a one-run ball against the Padres this past Wednesday, allowing just three hits and a walk while punching out seven. It was his first date with San Diego, as Alzolay has only 16 major-league starts under his belt.
The Padres couldn’t cope with Jacob deGrom
The San Diego Padres wrapped up a four-game home set against the New York Mets on Sunday afternoon, trying to get back on the winning path. Excluding that closer against the Mets, San Diego has dropped five of its previous seven games, falling to 36-24 on the season and trailing a couple of games behind the NL West leader, the San Francisco Giants.
The Padres got blanked by Jacob deGrom this past Saturday, striking out 11 times through seven innings. They had only five hits in a 4-0 defeat, so the Padres are now tied with the Cubs for the 11th-highest scoring offense in baseball. San Diego smacked just 61 homers through its first 60 games in 2021 (20th in the majors) and recorded a .697 OPS (18th).
Ryan Weathers will toe the rubber Monday, and the 21-year-old rookie is 2-2 with a 2.06 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 29/12 K/BB ratio in seven starts and five relief appearances (39.1 innings). He was charged for a loss last time out, yielding four earned runs on seven hits across five innings of work in a 4-3 defeat at the Chicago Cubs this past Tuesday.
Trends:
Chicago:
- 3-10 in the last 13 road games as underdogs
San Diego:
- 15-3 in the last 18 games at home
The Padres lean on their pitching staff, and with Ryan Weathers on the mound, their bullpen might be busy Monday. San Diego’s relievers own the lowest ERA in baseball (2.44), while the Cubs bullpen is right behind them with a 2.72 ERA.
Weathers’ previous start against the Cubs didn’t go well, but the Padres still had a chance to win late in the game. I think their offense will make the difference in this one after getting tortured by Adbert Alzolay last Wednesday. The Padres’ lineup is loaded with heavy weapons, and they still haven’t clicked exactly.
Pick: Take San Diego Padres at -120
The Total:
The under is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings between the Cubs and Padres, as we saw a push in the Cubs’ 6-1 victory last Wednesday. I’ve already mentioned how good both bullpens are, so it’s no strange that the line has been set at 7.5 runs.
Although betting on the under looks like a logical move, I’m going with the over on the totals. The pitching staff could be a bit tired after some tough series over the weekend, and both Cubs and Padres are capable of putting some decent numbers on the scoreboard.
Pick: Go over 7.5 runs at +105