For many baseball fans, Memorial Day is more than just a day off from work. This is the day when we can all look back at what has happened in the early part of the MLB season and get a real idea of what to expect from every team in the league. After all, they will all have delivered a big enough body of work for us to be able to separate the good from the bad, and what we see is not always what was expected prior to the start of the season. The Chicago Cubs were the MLB Betting favorites to win the NL Central, but they are currently playing second fiddle to a Milwaukee Brewers team that is proving last season was no fluke.
Things are similarly unexpected over in the NL East. The Washington Nationals were the favorites to win that division, with the New York Mets considered the team most likely to challenge. That the Nationals are not on top and the Mets are 4th tells you how odd things are over there. The Cubs and Mets will play the second of a 4-game series on Friday night in New York with the Over/Under at 9 in the latest MLB Odds for this showdown.
All is not totally bleak right now, though, as they are still just 5 games out of the lead in the NL East, although at just 3-7 in their last 10 games, that deficit is growing as opposed to getting smaller. With the loss to the Cubs on Thursday, the Mets are now 7-10 versus NL Central foes. They will send Zack Wheeler (2-4, 5.40 ERA) to the mound for this one.
Friday Night Game Info & MLB Betting Prediction: Chicago at New York
Quintana, Zobrist lead #Cubs to victory in series opener vs. #Mets.
Recap: https://t.co/pKR1NJahoo #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/3EM17jKqwD — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) 1 de junio de 2018
- When: Friday, June 1 at 7:10 PM EST
- Where: Citi Field, New York
- Starting Pitchers: Tyler Chatwood vs. Zack Wheeler
- TV: NBC Sports Chicago / SNY
- Radio: Chicago 670 The Score / New York 710 WOR
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Betting Odds: Chicago Cubs -110 (Over/Under at 9)
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Runs: Chicago Cubs 7.50 / New York Mets 3.80
- Hits: Chicago Cubs 11.10 / New York Mets 8.60
- Walks: Chicago Cubs 4.70 / New York Mets 2.90
- Strike Outs: Chicago Cubs 8.90 / New York Mets 8.30
Why bet on the Chicago Cubs?
If you look at the expected win-loss stat on ESPN, you will see that the Cubs are currently sitting 5 games off their expected pace. While that is certainly not a disaster, it is a sign that inconsistency is holding this team back. It also explains why they find themselves 4 games back of the Brewers in the race for the Central division crown. The Cubs are not really experiencing any issues on offense, but their pitching is leaving a little to be desired. Their starting rotation is down in 12th with 28 quality starts, and the fact that they are 6th in team ERA tells you that they are getting some solid work from their relievers. The Cubs are still very much in the hunt for a division or Wild Card spot, but they need to find a better level of consistency quickly. It will be Tyler Chatwood (3-4, 4.10 ERA) who starts for the Cubs.Team Statistics
Offense- Runs: 5.23
- Hits: 9.28
- Walks: 3.98
- Strike Outs: 8.21
- Runs: 3.68
- Hits: 7.38
- Walks: 4.28
- Strike Outs: 8.74
Why bet on the New York Mets?
The Mets made a decent enough start to the season, but are now playing .500 ball with a 27-27 record. To make matters worse, their loss to the Cubs in the opening game of this series saw them fall to 2 games below .500 in their own ballpark. The harsh reality here is that the Mets are not really doing anything particularly well, as both their hitting and pitching stats are middle of the pack or worse.
All is not totally bleak right now, though, as they are still just 5 games out of the lead in the NL East, although at just 3-7 in their last 10 games, that deficit is growing as opposed to getting smaller. With the loss to the Cubs on Thursday, the Mets are now 7-10 versus NL Central foes. They will send Zack Wheeler (2-4, 5.40 ERA) to the mound for this one.
Team Statistics
Offense- Runs: 4.17
- Hits: 8.19
- Walks: 3.54
- Strike Outs: 8.43
- Runs: 4.54
- Hits: 8.76
- Walks: 3.26
- Strike Outs: 9.31
Latest MLB Betting Trends
- Cubs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games
- Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs’s last 8 games
- Mets are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games
- Mets are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 9 of NY Mets’ last 13 games
