Joe’s Phillies vs. Cubs Pick & Prediction (April 26)

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs
Date: Saturday, April 26th, 4:05 ET
Location: Wrigley Field
TV: FOX
Money Line: Phillies -111/Cubs -107
Total Line: 7

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the Chicago Cubs and the Phillies on Saturday, April 26th at Wrigley Field. We provide you with a comprehensive analysis, odds, and predictions to help with your handicapping decision or tail our expert based on the projected lineups and listed starting pitchers.

Betting Odds

From Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have the Phillies and Cubs facing off in an NL matchup. This one gets started at 4:05 PM ET and is being televised by FOX. The Phillies are on a five-game losing streak, and their record is 13-13, while the Cubs have won three straight and are 17-10 overall. Ben Brown is starting for the Cubs, and the Phillies are going with Jesus Luzardo.

The over/under line for Saturday’s game is at seven runs, and the Cubs are just a slight favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -107. The Phillies are -111 on the money line. This game is being played in Chicago, and the forecast calls for broken clouds and temperatures in the upper 40s.

Phillies vs. Cubs Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Philadelphia Phillies: 13-13 SU / OU 12-14 / Runline 13-13

Chicago Cubs: 17-10 SU / OU 17-9 / Runline 17-10

Chicago cruised to an easy 4-0 win over the Phillies in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a huge 2nd inning, scoring all four of their runs. As for the Phillies, they had their best chance to score in the 7th but could only muster one run.

Colin Rea started for the Cubs and picked up the win, going five innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with seven strikeouts but issued two walks. On the other side, Taijuan Walker got the start for the Phillies and took the loss, giving up two earned runs in three innings of work.

At the plate, the Cubs were led by Jon Berti, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki, as they were the only three Cubs hitters to have more than one hit. Berti, Happ, and Suzuki each scored a run and drove in a run. J.T. Realmuto had two hits for the Phillies.

Phillies Records & Recent Play

Philadelphia is 13-13 overall this season, and they are five games behind the Mets in the NL East. The Phillies have dropped five straight games, with their most recent loss coming in the first game of this series vs. the Cubs. So far, they are 4-9 on the road this year.

At home, the Phillies have been good, going 9-4 this season. As the underdog, the Phillies are 13-13 this year, and they have yet to be the favorite in a game. Looking at their overall series record, the Phillies are 4-3-1 this year.

Cubs Records & Recent Play

Chicago is 17-10 overall this season, and they have won three straight games, taking the first game of this series vs. the Phillies. The Cubs currently lead the NL Central by 3.5 games over the Reds. So far, they have yet to play a game against another NL Central team.

At home, the Cubs are 9-5 this year and have gone 8-5 on the road. Chicago has been the underdog in all of their games, and they are 9-5 as the home underdog. The Cubs’ overall series record is 6-2-1, and they have won two straight series.

Pitching Matchup

Getting the start for the Phillies today is Jesús Luzardo, who has been solid in his first two starts of the season. Luzardo is coming off a 7-inning outing vs. the Marlins in which he allowed just one earned run and struck out 7. He also picked up a win in his first start of the season, going seven innings and striking out eight vs. the Dodgers.

Ben Brown will be making his third start of the season for the Cubs, and he has been solid in his first two outings. He picked up a win in his first start, going six innings and not allowing a run against the Dodgers. In his last start, he went four innings, giving up one earned run on three hits. Brown has 11 strikeouts in 10 innings of work so far this season.

Phillies vs. Cubs Offense Outlook

Philadelphia’s offense is batting a collective .248 this season, which is the 7th best mark in the league. They are also near the top of the league in on-base percentage and walks, while their team on-base percentage of .337 is the 3rd best mark in the MLB. The Phillies are averaging 4.3 runs per game and have been even better at home, putting up 5.3 runs per contest.

Over his last eight games, Alec Bohm has gone 11/31, and he is currently on a four-game hitting streak. Kyle Schwarber comes into the game with a team-high seven homers but has gone just 6/28 in his last eight games. Bryce Harper is also struggling at the plate right now, as he has just five hits in his last 29 at-bats.

Chicago’s offense has been the best in the league so far, averaging 6.2 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 6.5 runs per contest. Not only do the Cubs lead the league in batting average, but they are also the top team in terms of on-base percentage and slugging. Currently, they have the league’s top OPS at .808.

Carson Kelly and Seiya Suzuki are both in the top three in home runs for the Cubs, with Kelly batting .341 this season and Suzuki at .283. Kyle Tucker is also near the top of the league in RBIs, as he has driven in 25 runs while batting .308. Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong have both been hot of late, with Happ batting .452 over his last seven games and Crow-Armstrong hitting .407 with three homers in this stretch.

Free Phillies vs. Cubs MLB Pick

The Cubs are turning to the 25-year-old Ben Brown, who is 2-1 so far for the club across four starts. He is up against Jesus Luzardo for the Phillies. Right now, the Phillies are at -111, and I think that’s where all the value lies. Luzardo had a rough 2024 season but is off to a great start this year, coming in with an ERA of just 2.08. I like the Phillies on the money line.