We’ve yet to see much offense between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs, but that could all change in Sunday’s season finale with two shaky starting pitchers toeing the slab.
We’ll explain in our Orioles vs. Cubs predictions how Chicago’s strong matchup with a ground-ball pitcher and Baltimore’s recent improvements could make for a high-scoring affair.
Without further ado, let’s hand out some MLB picks for Sunday, August 3.
Orioles vs Cubs prediction
My Orioles vs Cubs best bet: Over 8 (-110 at Caesars)
We’ll see a battle of two back-end arms in Colin Rea and Brandon Young on Sunday, and while Rea has been the more effective of the two in his role, he may not hold the advantage you’d suspect as a fly-ball pitcher in Chicago.
Yes, Wrigley Field ranks among the friendliest for pitchers in the league, with the swirling wind knocking down a good deal of contact in the air, but Rea has allowed 14 homers here in 12 games. He owns a 4.33 ERA at home as opposed to a 4.12 on the road, and now he’ll have to step to a red-hot Baltimore Orioles offense, which ranks first in wRC+ over the last two weeks.
This isn’t exactly a pitcher you can trust in any capacity with Rea running a brutal .477 expected slugging percentage, and Baltimore is plenty capable of making the right-hander miserable with a robust .239 isolated power in those last 14 days.
Baltimore may have traded a couple of big bats away at the deadline, but its core has remained excellent against fly-ball pitchers, and the entire team has done a brilliant job of limiting strikeouts of late.
That should about stick a fork in Rea, but what about Young? Well, the Chicago Cubs rank second against ground-ball pitchers in OPS, holding a comfortable advantage in this split, and the younger righty has certainly put his trust in the infield to make plays despite ranking 16th in outs above average.
With exit velocity numbers way up and Young sporting pedestrian strikeout-to-walk numbers, there’s a strong possibility that this contact-happy Cubs offense wakes up in a big way against a fastball pitcher who finds the zone with consistency.
Caesars QuickPick: Our Orioles vs Cubs same-game parlay (SGP)
Over 8
Nico Hoerner 2+ total bases
Tyler O'Neill 1+ total bases
Now, it’s time to select which players power these respective offenses. I like Nico Hoerner first, who’s been swinging a red-hot bat of late, hitting .316 since July 6. He’s yet to make his mark in this series, but that should all change against a rare Baltimore ground-baller. Against these types, the veteran infielder is hitting .324 this season with a jump in slugging of over 100 points.
Then, we’ll mix in a fly-ball specialist in Tyler O’Neill. Assuming he plays after sitting due to a slight knock, the slugger should be feasting his eyes on Rea and his strategy of serving up meatballs to greedy hitters.
O’Neill is 1-for-3 off Rea in his career with a homer, and he’d also been catching fire before his brief absence with a 1.313 OPS since the All-Star break.
Double your winnings for 10 separate bets at Caesars
Sign up for a Caesars account — using our exclusive promo code BASEBALLDYW — and get 10x profit boost tokens worth 100% each!
Register now to collect your Double your winning tokens, or learn more with our comprehensive Caesars Sportsbook review.
Orioles vs Cubs odds
Orioles vs Cubs live odds
Orioles vs Cubs opening odds
- Moneyline: Baltimore +158 | Chicago -189
- Run line: Baltimore +1.5 (-135) | Chicago -1.5 (+115)
- Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8
Odds courtesy of Caesars.
Orioles vs Cubs trend
The Orioles have cashed the run line in 18 of their last 25 away games (+9.9 units / 28% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Cubs.
How to watch Orioles vs Cubs and game info
| Location | Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL |
| Date | Sunday, 8-3-2025 |
| First pitch | 2:20 p.m. ET |
| TV | MASN2, Marquee |
| Orioles starting pitcher | Brandon Young (0-5, 6.63 ERA) |
| Cubs starting pitcher | Colin Rea (8-5, 4.25 ERA) |
Orioles vs Cubs latest injuries
Orioles vs Cubs weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
