Toronto Blue Jays vs Chicago Cubs Betting Pick & Prediction 8/16/24

From Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have the Blue Jays and Cubs facing off in an interleague matchup. Friday’s forecast in Chicago calls for light rain and temperatures in the mid-70s. First pitch is set for 2:20 PM ET, and APLTV is carrying the game on TV.

The Cubs are the slight money line favorite, with their odds sitting at -114 compared to the Blue Jays at -105. The over/under line is currently at 10 runs, and both teams will be looking to move up in the standings, as the Blue Jays are 5th in the AL East, and the Cubs are 4th in the NL Central. Kyle Hendricks is starting for the Cubs, while the Blue Jays are going with Yariel Rodriguez.

CHICAGO CUBS VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline -114

This game will be played at Wrigley Field at 2:20 ET on Friday, August 16th.

HOW TO BET THE BLUE JAYS VS CUBS:

• We have the Cubs winning by a score of 5 to 4
• If you’re looking for a run line pick, we also like the Cubs to cover
• As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the under

Blue Jays Records & Stats

The Blue Jays’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Angels, closing out their series with a 9-2 win. After allowing two runs to the Angels in the 1st inning, the Blue Jays responded with two runs of their own. Toronto went on to add another two runs in the 2nd inning.

José Berríos put together a good start for the Blue Jays, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Toronto’s offense was carried by Daulton Varsho, who went 3/5 with a homer and three RBIs.

Toronto will be on the road to take on the Cubs today, and they are 14.5 games out of first place in the AL East. Currently, they are 5th in the division with an overall record of 57-64. The Blue Jays have gone 17-24 against other teams in the AL East.

The Blue Jays have been playing well lately, as they have won three straight games, and they closed out their series vs. the Angels with a win. So far, they are 13-7 as the road favorite and 28-33 on the road overall. As the favorite, the Blue Jays are 36-26 and 21-38 as the underdog. Toronto’s series record is 14-19-6 this year.

The Blue Jays are 38-23 against the run line on the road this season, including a current four-game run line win streak. Their average run margin on the road is -0.3, but they have covered the run line in 62% of their games away from home. They are 32-27 against the run line as the underdog this season.

The Blue Jays have played 120 games with over/under lines set below 10 runs this season, and their games have averaged 9.0 runs per game. Their over/under record is 65-53, and their games have had an average line of 8 runs. When the line has been set at 10 runs, they have gone over once in one game. None of their games this season have had over/under lines set higher than 10 runs.

Right-hander Yariel Rodríguez gets the start for the Blue Jays today as he faces the Cubs on the road. He has made 12 starts this season and has a record of 1-5 with a 3.60 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .212 this season. Rodríguez has made two quality starts this year and is coming off a rough outing where he took the loss. Against the Athletics, he gave up one earned run in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without giving up a homer. Per nine innings, Rodríguez is averaging 4.5 walks compared to 9.36 strikeouts.

For the season, the Blue Jays are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been slightly better on the road (4.3 RPG) compared to at home (4.0 RPG). As a team, they are batting just .239, but do have the league’s 11th ranked home run hitter in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero Jr. is also hitting .323 for the season and has gone 13/33 with three homers over his last eight games.

Guerrero Jr. also leads the Blue Jays with 80 RBIs, while Daulton Varsho is 2nd on the team with 51 RBIs, but he is hitting just .208 for the season. Varsho does have 15 homers, which is 2nd on the team.

Cubs Records & Stats

Chicago closed out their series vs. the Guardians with a 6-1 loss on the road. The Cubs were the +111 underdog going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Cubs, as they got on the board with a run in the 4th inning but gave up the lead right away as the Guardians scored two runs in the bottom of the 4th.

Jameson Taillon took the loss for the Cubs, going six innings and giving up four earned runs on five hits. He also issued two walks and hit a batter. Chicago’s offense scored their only run on a single from Rafael Ortega in the 4th.

Chicago will open up their series vs. the Blue Jays having lost three straight games, and they are 4th in the NL Central, 10.5 games behind the Brewers. So far, they are 17-26 against other teams in the NL Central.

At home, the Cubs are 32-27 this season and 27-36 on the road. Chicago’s overall record is 59-63, and they have dropped three straight as the underdog. As the underdog this season, the Cubs are 32-34 and 27-29 as the favorite. Their overall series record is 15-21-3.

When the Cubs win, they win by an average of 3.4 runs per game, but when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.1 runs per game. They have a run line record of 59-63 overall, but they are 36-27 against the run line on the road. They are 23-36 against the run line at home, but they have covered in their last two home games.

The Chicago Cubs are playing at home today against the Toronto Blue Jays. The over/under line for the game is set at 10 runs. The Cubs have had an average combined run average of 8.4 runs per game this season and their over/under record is 53-65. Their average over/under line for the season is 8 runs per game. This season, the Cubs have had just one game with an over/under line of 10 runs, and their over/under record in that game was 1-0. The under has hit in their last two games.

The Cubs are starting right-hander Kyle Hendricks today vs. the Blue Jays. Hendricks has made 16 starts this year and has a record of 3-10 with a 6.60 ERA. In his 16 starts, he has turned in just three quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Hendricks took the loss vs. the Twins, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight starts. Opponents are batting .285 off Hendricks this year. At home, his ERA is 6.17 compared to 7.68 on the road.

Chicago’s offense has been pretty average this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been a little better on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per game. The Cubs have been a below-average home run hitting team this season and are also near the bottom of the league in terms of slugging percentage and OPS.

Coming into the game, Ian Happ is on a six-game hitting streak and has three homers over his last seven games, while going 7/28 (.250) in that stretch. For the season, he leads the Cubs with 20 homers and 67 RBIs. Isaac Paredes is also near the top of the Cubs’ home run and RBI leaderboards but is batting just .237 this season.