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Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago Cubs odds, picks and predictions
By Nathan Beighle,
8 hours ago
The Chicago Cubs (61-63) welcome the Toronto Blue Jays (57-66) to Wrigley Field Sunday. First pitch in the series finale is set for 2:20 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Blue Jays vs. Cubsodds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Cubs lead 2-0
The Blue Jays lost to the Cubs 3-2 Saturday and 6-5 Friday, closing as an underdog in both games of the series.
Toronto swept the Los Angeles Angels in its series prior, winning those 3 games a combined 19-5. The Blue Jays are still 5-4 over their last 9 games and are 28-25 on the road this season. They sit last in the AL East and are 61-62 against the spread (ATS).
The Cubs, who are 34-27 at home this season, were swept by the Cleveland Guardians prior to this series. They lost those a combined 17-10 and are 6-3 over their last 9 games. Chicago is 57-67 ATS.
Blue Jays at Cubs projected starters
RHP Bowden Francis vs. LHP Shota Imanaga
Francis (5-3, 4.92 ERA) makes his 7th start and 21st appearance. He has a 1.24 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9 and 8.1 K/9 in 56 2/3 IP.
Last start: Win, 7 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 8 K in 4-2 road win over the Los Angeles Angels Monday
2024 away stats: 3-3, 4.50 ERA (36 IP, 18 ER), 1.17 WHIP, 8.5 K/9 in 11 appearances (5 starts)
Career vs. Cubs: 0-0, 0.00 ERA (3 2/3 IP, 0 ER), 0.27 WHIP, 7.4 K/9 in 1 appearance
Imanaga (9-2, 3.16 ERA) makes his 23rd start. He has a 1.08 WHIP, 1.3 BB/9 and 9.2 K/9 in 128 1/3 IP.
Last start: No-decision, 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 3 K in 9-8 road loss to the Cleveland Guardians Monday
2024 home stats: 4-1, 3.30 ERA (71 IP, 26 ER), 0.96 WHIP, 10.4 K/9 in 12 starts
First time facing Blue Jays
Who’s going yard? Here’s a breakdown of today’s best home run props with our top picks. Include the BetMGM bonus code SBWIRE to score a $1,500 first-bet offer.
Moneyline (ML): Blue Jays +150 (bet $100 to win $150) | Cubs -178 (bet $178 to win $100)
Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Blue Jays +1.5 (-152) | Cubs -1.5 (+126)
Over/Under (O/U): 7 (O: -105 | U: -115)
Blue Jays at Cubs picks and predictions
Prediction
Cubs 5, Blue Jays 4
PASS.
The Cubs have their ace on the mound and should come out on top. At this valuation, they are just too expensive to take. The Blue Jays aren’t worth a play either as an underdog.
BET BLUE JAYS +1.5 (-152).
The Cubs might be 2-0 in this series, but they are 0-2 ATS in the 2 games. On top of that, the Cubs have the 3rd-worst home-covering rate at 22-39 ATS. Similarly, the Blue Jays are the 2nd-best road-covering team at 40-23 ATS.
The Blue Jays have covered in 5 straight road games. While Chicago has its ace on the mound, it is 2-3 ATS in his last 5 starts, winning 2 of those 3 by 1 run. Considering those trends, take BLUE JAYS +1.5 (-152) despite the expensive value.
BET OVER 7 (-105).
The Cubs are 5-4 O/U in their last 9 games, and they have gone Over in Imanga’s last 4 starts. Chicago has scored 19 runs through its last 5 games and has allowed at least 5 runs in 2 of its last 3 games.
The Blue Jays have gone Over in 2 of their last 3 games and in 5 of their last 10. They are 66-55-2 O/U and have scored at least 5 runs in 3 of their last 4 games. With those trends in mind, back OVER 7 (-105).
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