After barely getting any baseball action last night, the MLB betting board is packed with 15 games on Tuesday including an interleague matchup between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians.
This will be the first of a two-game set at Progressive Field in Cleveland and the Tribe will be sending ace Shane Bieber to the hill as they look to close the gap in the AL Central between themselves and the first-place White Sox.
Here are our best free Cubs vs. Indians picks and predictions for Tuesday, May 11, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET.
Cubs vs Indians odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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MLB Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonWith Shane Bieber dealing, Cleveland opened as a -175 favorite at TwinSpires and got to -190 earlier today, and the moneyline is -190 at 3 p.m. ET. The Indians are attracting 77 percent of tickets and 83 percent of cash, and Cleveland is seeing plenty of parlay play, as well. "The Cubs would knock out a lot of parlay liability for us with a win today," TwinSpires trading analyst Zachary Lucas said. The total moved from 7 to -6.5 and back to 7, with the Under drawing 58 percent of tickets/54 percent of money.
Check out the full line movement for this gameCubs vs Indians betting preview
Starting pitchers
Adbert Alzolay (1-2, 4.50 ERA): The hard-throwing right-hander is showing plenty of promise and is fresh off a strong performance against the Dodgers, allowing two runs with seven strikeouts over five innings. Don't judge the 26-year-old solely on his unimpressive ERA this season, as he has pitched to a 0.88 WHIP with an opponent batting average of just .174. In six games last year, he had a 2.95 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and an OBA of .169.
Shane Bieber (3-2, 2.98 ERA): The 25-year-old is one of the best pitchers in the world, capable of throwing five pitches at a high level, including a four-seam fastball, curveball, and slider that have filthy movement. Bieber took home the AL Cy Young award a year ago after going 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He's off to another strong start this season and is coming off an outing against the Royals in which he allowed three runs and fanned nine batters in six innings of work.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Cubs: Jake Marisnick OF (Questionable), Ian Happ OF (Out).
Indians: Roberto Perez C (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Cubs are 3-9 in their last 12 road games. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Indians.
Moneyline pick
The Cubs are coming off a 6-5 loss to the Pirates which snapped a five-game winning streak. They are currently 17-17 and in fourth place in the NL Central.
The Indians have also been in great form, beating the Reds 9-2 in their last outing and winning six of their previous seven outings. Cleveland is now 18-14 and trails the White Sox by just a single game in the AL Central standings.
The Tribe haven't been great offensively, ranking just 23rd in the majors with an OPS of .673 while plating 4.25 runs per game. The Cubs have been a bit better at the dish, ranking 14th in OPS at .705 while averaging 4.62 runs per game.
That advantage in hitting, however, means diddly squat with Bieber getting the start for Cleveland.
Bieber is having another stellar season in 2021, pitching to a 2.98 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and an incredible 77 strikeouts through 48 1-3 innings of work. More importantly for baseball bettors, he gives Cleveland a very strong chance of winning, with the Tribe going 15-4 in his previous 19 regular-season starts going back to the beginning of last season.
Alzolay has looked sharp this season but he isn't anywhere near Bieber's level as an elite pitcher. Lay the juice with Cleveland.
PREDICTION: Cleveland (-185)
Over/Under pick
The Over/Under opened at 7 before quickly being bet down to a very low 6.5, but with the Beebs on the mound that makes sense.
Bieber's terrific pitching and Cleveland's mediocre hitting have been a boon for Under bettors over the last few years, with the Under cashing in 14 of his previous 19 regular-season starts, including four of five with the total set at 6.5.
Matter of fact, the Under is 6-2 in Cleveland's previous eight games with the total set at 6.5.
Things won't get much easier for the Cubs once Bieber exits, either, with the Tribe boasting a terrific bullpen. Cleveland relievers pitch to an MLB-best 2.71 ERA while ranking fourth in opponent batting average at .201.
Alzolay has also been sharp lately, allowing exactly two earned runs in each of his previous three starts and fanning 20 batters over 15 2-3 innings during that span. And two of those outings came against the Dodgers and Braves, who have far more dangerous lineups than Cleveland. Take the Under.
PREDICTION: Under 6.5 (-105)
Cubs vs Indians betting card
- ML Cleveland (-185)
- Under 6.5 (-105)
Picks made on 5/11/2021 at 9:45 a.m. ET
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