Day baseball at Wrigley Field is an institution, and we have a good game for you when the San Francisco Giants meet the Chicago Cubs for Game 3 of their three-game series.
The Giants look to avoid a series sweep, and lefty Alex Wood will man the bump for San Francisco. Chicago is 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central Standings, and southpaw Jordan Wicks will toe the slab for the Cubbies.
Can the Cubs sweep the Giants today at the friendly confines? Find out in our free MLB picks and predictions for Giants vs. Cubs on Wednesday, September 6.
Giants vs Cubs odds
Giants vs Cubs predictions
The Cubs are playing with passion, and my best bet for this afternoon's matchup is for this contest to wind up going Under the 10.5 runs listed in MLB odds.
Chicago scored four runs in the third and added six more in the seventh inning to secure the series and season series victory. Seiya Suzuki had four hits and three RBI on the night and is 13-for-38 with three home runs and eight RBI over the past 10 games.
Jordan Wicks is set to make his first start at Wrigley Field, and the young southpaw has been brilliant during his 10 innings of work on the hill. Wicks has stymied hitters with his fastball and straight changeup — the rookie is striking nearly 30% of hitters while walking fewer than 10% and allowing less than one home run per nine innings.
The sample size is small, but fortunately for Wicks, the Giants have the worst offense in baseball against left-handed pitching. San Francisco is 26th in runs scored against lefties with a wRC+ of 77.
The Giants also have a 27% strikeout rate against left-handed pitching, which will make things easier for Wicks to do his thing this afternoon.
Alex Wood has been better on the road, but he’s up against one of the show's best offenses against left-handed pitching. The veteran southpaw keeps the ball in the yard but walks nearly five per nine with an xFIP almost two runs higher than his ERA. That could mean regression and likely a shorter stint on the bump than his usual 3-4 innings as he's split time between the rotation and bullpen.
Finally, their previous 10 matchups are 3-7-0 to the Under. The Giants have one of the worst offenses in baseball, facing a rookie with good command and whiffing 10.8 hitters per nine frames. Neither pitcher will likely last more than five innings, but the Cubs bullpen is the fresher of the two. They will keep the Giants in check, and the game ends Under 10.5 runs.
My best bet: Under 10.5 (-110 at Caesars)
Giants vs Cubs same-game parlay
Under 10.5
Wilmer Flores to get a hit
Cubs moneyline
Wilmer Flores has always hit left-handed pitching. The veteran is slashing .319/.374/.560 with 45 hits and seven home runs against left-handers this season.
Finally, I like the Cubs to get the win. They are playing inspired team baseball with the opportunity to pick up a game on the Brewers. The Giants don’t hit lefties very well, don’t score many runs, and facing a lefty with a huge strikeout rate pitching for the first time at home against a team with a losing away record.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Giants vs Cubs moneyline and Over/Under analysis
Chicago is playing terrific baseball. They’ve won three straight and seven of their last 10. As a result, the Cubs are 2.5 games behind Milwaukee in the Central, and if the playoffs were to begin today, the Cubbies would be playing in the NL Wild Card.
The Cubs have owned San Francisco this season, winning four of their past five, and are as short as -150 on the moneyline with buyback on the Giants available in the +115 to +120 range.
The Giants have been swept just once on the road and have won the final game to avoid a sweep thrice this season. Meanwhile, the Cubbies have swept one home series this season and were defeated six times at home when a series sweep was on the line.
The Giants offer 7.8 runs of support this season when Wood makes the start. Conversely, the Cubs score an average of eight runs over Wicks’ two starts this season.
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Trend to know
The Under is 4-0 in Giants' last 4 games vs. a left-handed starter, and the Under is 7-1 in Giants last 8 road games vs. a left-handed starter. Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Cubs
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Giants vs Cubs game info
| Location: | Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL |
| Date: | Wednesday, September 6, 2023 |
| First pitch: | 2:20 p.m. ET |
| TV: | MLB Network |
Starting pitchers
Alex Wood (5-4, 4.35 ERA): Wood is making his 12th season start, splitting time between the starting rotation and the bullpen. Over 40 away innings, Wood is striking out just over seven and walking 4.95 hitters per nine frames. Wood has an away xFIP nearly two runs higher than his ERA, which could be trouble against the Cubs today.
Jordan Wicks (2-0, 1.80 ERA): Wicks has made two starts in his brief MLB career, but those starts led to two consecutive Cubs victories. Wednesday is his first start at Wrigley Field, and over two away starts, he has struck out 10.8 while walking 3.60 per nine frames. Wicks has served up one home run and faces the worst offense against southpaws in the NL.
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