The Chicago Cubs took Game 1 of their NL Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres, and the two clubs return to Wrigley Field for Game 2 tonight.
Don’t be surprised to see another low-scoring result with the wind blowing in at Wrigley this afternoon, and my Padres vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks are calling the North Siders to punch their ticket to the NLDS.
Padres vs Cubs Game 2 predictions
Who will win Padres vs Cubs Game 2?
The Cubs send the better lineup to the dish, and Padres righty Dylan Cease has struggled on the highway. Even with a slow second half, Chicago finished the season with an eighth-ranked wOBA and fifth-ranked ISO against righties, after all.
Padres vs Cubs best bet
Cubs moneyline (-115)
The Chicago Cubs are turning to Andrew Kittredge as an opener in Game 2, with Shota Imanaga penciled in to pitch the bulk of the ball game.
Imanaga has posted a monster 7.20 ERA in the first inning with 20 of his 62 total runs coming in the opening frame this season, so it’s hard to imagine the shake up being anything but a help for the lefty.
Of course, the San Diego Padres don’t pack a powerful lineup, either. The Friars finished the regular season ranked 18th in wOBA and 23rd in ISO against lefties.
As long as Imanga keeps the ball in the yard, the Padres will have difficulty putting crooked numbers on the board.
San Diego righty Dylan Cease has also struggled away from Petco Park this season with his 5.58 road ERA well above his 3.61 home mark.
The Chicago lineup is also back to full strength with Kyle Tucker returning to action, and even with a quiet second half up and down the lineup, the Cubbies finished the season with an eighth-ranked wOBA and fifth-ranked ISO against right-handed pitchers.
Padres vs Cubs Game 2 same-game parlay (SGP)
The Padres and Cubs combined for just four runs in the series opener, and I’m not anticipating a lot of offense in Game 2, either.
Both teams have trended to the Under, too. San Diego has played to the Under in 85 of their last 151 games (+15.20 Units / 9% ROI), and Chicago has gone Under the number in 60 of their last 110 games (+12.95 Units / 11% ROI).
Turning to the final leg of this same-game parlay, San Diego third baseman Manny Machado has posted a rock-solid .270 batting average against lefties over the past three years. He also picked up a hit in nine of the final 12 regular season games with a .304 batting average before going 0-for-3 in Game 1 on Tuesday.
Padres vs Cubs SGP
- Cubs moneyline
- Under 6.5
- Manny Machado Over 0.5 hits
Padres vs Cubs home run pick for Game 2
Manny Machado (+420)
With Imanaga likely to pitch the bulk of Wednesday’s game, I’m eyeing Machado to leave the yard.
Imanaga has surrendered at least one home run in each of his past nine starts for a monster 2.4 HR/9, and in addition to the already highlighted success Machado has had against southpaws, he’s also posted a solid .246 ISO with 12 home runs against them this season.
Padres vs Cubs Game 2 odds
- Moneyline: San Diego +100 | Chicago -120
- Run line: San Diego +1.5 | Chicago -1.5
- Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5
Padres vs Cubs trend
The Padres have hit the team total Under in 47 of their last 78 away games for +11.25 units and a 12% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Cubs.
How to watch Padres vs Cubs and Game 2 info
| Location | Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL |
| Date | Wednesday, October 1, 2025 |
| First pitch | 3:08 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Padres starting pitcher | Dylan Cease (8-12, 4.55 ERA) |
| Cubs starting pitcher | Andrew Kittredge (4-3, 3.40 ERA) |
Padres vs Cubs latest injuries
Padres vs Cubs weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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