Mets vs. Cubs MLB Betting Preview, Odds, and Predictions- 5/1/24

Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets
Date: Wednesday, May 1st, 7:10 ET
Location: Citi Field
TV: SNY
Money Line: Cubs -120/Mets +100
Total Line: 7.5

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the New York Mets and the Cubs on Wednesday, May 1st at Citi 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

At 7:10 PM from Citi Field in New York, we have an NL matchup between the Cubs and Mets. Heading into Wednesday’s game, the Cubs have an overall record of 18-12, while the Mets are 15-14. On the money line, the Cubs are the slight favorite at -120.

Chicago’s forecast calls for scattered clouds and temperatures in the low 70s. Coming off a win on Tuesday, the over/under line is at 7.5 runs. José Buttó is starting for the Mets, and he is facing off against Shota Imanaga.

Cubs vs. Mets Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Chicago Cubs: 18-12 SU / OU 13-16 / Runline 21-9
New York Mets: 15-14 SU / OU 14-15 / Runline 15-14

New York picked up a 4-2 win over the Cubs in the most recent game of this series. The Mets had a huge 6th inning, scoring three of their four runs. As for the Cubs, they scored their only two runs in the 9th. Heading into the game, the Mets were favored at -126.

Sean Manaea got the start for the Mets, going just five innings but giving up just one run and striking out three. He did not factor in the decision, as the win went to Sean Reid-Foley out of the bullpen. Jorge Lopez got the save. Javier Assad only went five innings for the Cubs, giving up one run on five hits.

DJ Stewart was the difference for the Mets, as he homered and scored three times while going 1/3. Mike Tauchman had a two-hit game for the Cubs.

Cubs Records & Recent Play

Chicago is 18-12 overall this season, and they trail the Brewers by just a half-game in the NL Central. The Cubs are on the road today vs. the Mets, and they are 5-3-1 in series this year. So far, they have yet to play a game in the NL Central.

The Cubs dropped the first game of this series vs. the Mets but bounced back to win game two. This came after dropping the final two games of their series vs. the Red Sox. At home, the Cubs have been strong at 10-3, and they are just under .500 at 8-9 on the road. So far, they have been good as the favorite, going 7-3, and they are 11-9 as the underdog.

When betting the Cubs on the run line this season, it’s been a profitable endeavor, as they are 21-9 overall. They are 12-5 on the run line on the road, where they have a negative run differential. They have a positive run differential at home, where they are 9-4 on the run line. As the underdog, they are 15-5 on the run line.

Chicago’s over/under record for the season is 13-16, and the average over/under line for their games is 8 runs. When the line has been set at 7.5 runs, the Cubs have gone 4-3 in those games. The over/under line for today’s game against the Mets is set at 7.5 runs, and the combined run average for Cubs games this season is 9.5 runs. The Cubs have gone under the over/under line in their last two games.

Mets Records & Recent Play

New York is 15-14 overall and trail the Braves by 4.5 games in the NL East. The Mets are coming off dropping the first game of this series vs. the Cubs but bounced back to win the most recent game. So far, they are 2-1 in division games this year.

As the home underdog, the Mets are 1-1 this season, and they are 9-8 as the favorite and 6-6 as the underdog overall. New York’s series record is 5-4 this year, and they dropped two straight series before taking the first game of this series vs. the Cubs.

The Mets have been a solid run line bet on the road, going 8-4 ATS, compared to 7-10 at home. They have been favored in 17 games and are just 8-9 ATS in those contests. They have been an underdog in 12 games and are 7-5 ATS in those games.

The New York Mets have had a combined run average of 8.6 runs per game this season, but their over/under record is just 14-15. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs per game, but when the line has been set at 7.5 runs, the over/under record is 4-4. Their last three games have gone under the total, and their game against the Cubs today has an over/under line of 7.5 runs.

Pitching Matchup

Shota Imanaga has gotten off to a great start to the season for the Cubs, as he has picked up a win in each of his first three starts. He has been able to go at least 5 innings in each of his outings, and in his last start, he went 6 1/3 innings and struck out 7. Imanaga has given up 5 hits in each of his last two starts.

José Buttó gets the start for the Mets today, and he’s looking to pick up his first win of the season. He’s made 3 starts so far and has yet to factor into a decision. In his last outing, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up 4 runs on 4 hits. Buttó has 19 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched this season.

Cubs vs. Mets Offense Outlook

Chicago comes into the game with the league’s 7th best scoring offense at 5 runs per contest. At home, they have been even better, leading the league at 5.8 runs per game. Overall, they are batting .238 as a team, which is 13th in the league, and are also 10th in home runs. One area they have been very good at is not striking out, as they are the league’s 16th best team in this category.

Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger have been the Cubs’ top power threats this season, as Busch’s six homers is 5th best in the league, and Bellinger is right behind him with five. Bellinger is also batting just .226 for the season. Nico Hoerner has yet to go deep this season but is batting .261 and has an OBP of .336. Mike Tauchman has been hot of late, going 12/29 in his last nine games with three homers.

As a team, the Mets are batting a collective .239 this season, which is 12th in the league and have been one of the better home run hitting teams in the league so far. New York’s offense is averaging 4.4 runs per game, but they have been better on the road, averaging 5.6 runs per contest. Heading into the game, the Mets have three players in the top 8 in terms of home runs, with Pete Alonso leading the team with eight homers.

Brandon Nimmo has struggled this season, hitting just .208, but he has gone 6/23 in his last six games and has one home run during that stretch. Francisco Lindor has also been swinging a better bat of late, going 7/25 in his last six games with three homers. Pete Alonso has struggled as of late, going just 2/20 in his last six games.

Free Cubs vs. Mets MLB Pick

Our prediction for today’s Cubs vs. Mets game is to take the Cubs on the money line, with the payout being -120. We have the Cubs winning this one by a score of 5-4.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have José Buttó finishing with seven strikeouts compared to Shota Imanaga with five. Buttó is also projected to go 23rd among starters in terms of innings pitched, while Imanaga is 20th.