The San Diego Padres are laying down a marker with an explosive April run – and Petco Park should be rocking again tonight, with the Chicago Cubs in town.
After last night’s 9-7 victory, San Diego has now won nine in a row at home, and my Cubs vs. Padres predictions favor the hosts over a Chicago team that had a hot streak of its own earlier this month.
Read on for my free MLB picks ahead of this April 28 clash.
Who will win Cubs vs Padres today: Padres (+104)
With an 18-5 mark in April, the San Diego Padres look capable of pushing the L.A. Dodgers in the NL West, and I see the offense serving up enough run support for Walker Buehler tonight.
Buehler has had a bumpy start to 2026, but he’s only allowed two earned runs across his last two outings at Petco Park.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs have dropped three in a row, and righty Edward Cabrera’s last three starts have coughed up 11 runs. That spells trouble against a San Diego squad that’s 10-4 at home this year and racked up 14 hits in last night’s battle.
COVERS INTEL: Buehler’s struggles have largely come on the road (13.50 ERA this year, 6.12 ERA in 2025), but he’s posted a 3.00 ERA at Petco Park this season while giving up just five runs.
Cubs vs Padres Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-105)
If yesterday’s matchup was any indication, both lineups are ready to mash. The numbers back that up, too — the Padres have scored 32 runs across their last four contests, while the Cubs rank third in the majors in hits and runs.
The Over has been a winning ticket in six of Chicago’s past seven games, and Cabrera’s last two starts have breezed past this O/U total. We’ve also seen 9+ runs in five of San Diego’s past eight outings.
It’s hard to make the case for the Under given all the firepower here, and Manny Machado enters with nine hits in his last five games.
- ML/RL bets: 1-4, -3.36 units
- Over/Under bets: 4-1, +2.61 units
Cubs vs Padres odds
- Moneyline: Cubs -112 | Padres +104
- Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+147) | Padres +1.5 (-164)
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Cubs vs Padres trend
The Over is 18-11 for the Cubs this season. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Padres.
How to watch Cubs vs Padres and game info
| Location | Petco Park, San Diego, CA |
| Date | Tuesday, April 28, 2026 |
| First pitch | 9:40 p.m. ET |
| TV | MARQ, Padres.TV |
| Cubs starting pitcher | Edward Cabrera (2-0, 2.73 ERA) |
| Padres starting pitcher | Walker Buehler (1-2, 5.75 ERA) |
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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