Toronto Blue Jays vs Chicago Cubs Betting Pick & Prediction 8/18/24

From Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have the Blue Jays and Cubs facing off in an interleague matchup. First pitch for this one is set for 2:20 PM ET, and the Cubs are the betting favorite, with their money line odds sitting at -183. The money line odds for a Blue Jays win are at +154.

Chicago comes into the game on a two-game winning streak, and they are 3rd in the NL Central with a record of 61-63. As for the Blue Jays, they have lost two straight and are 5th in the AL East with a record of 57-66. Sunday’s TV coverage is being handled by SNET.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS VS CHICAGO CUBS BETTING PICK

The Pick: OVER 7 Runs

This game will be played at Wrigley Field at 2:20 ET on Sunday, August 18th.

HOW TO BET THE BLUE JAYS VS CUBS:

• We have the Cubs winning by a score of 6 to 5
• However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the Blue Jays to cover
• As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over

It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Cubs vs Blue Jays series. Chicago went into the matchup as -168 favorites and squeaked out a 3-2 win. Toronto had a chance to tie or take the lead in the 9th inning but could only muster one run.

Justin Steele only went two innings for the Cubs but didn’t give up a hit or an earned run. He finished the game with just three strikeouts and issued one walk. Nate Pearson came out of the bullpen for the win, and Jorge Lopez got the save.

Chris Bassitt had a rough outing for the Blue Jays, taking the loss after going five innings and giving up three earned runs on five hits. He did finish the game with five strikeouts.

Blue Jays Records & Stats

Toronto is 57-66 overall, putting them 5th in the AL East, and they trail the Yankees by 15.5 games for the division lead. The Blue Jays have gone 17-24 in divisional games this year. Toronto has dropped two straight games, and this comes after losing the final game of their series vs. the Mariners.

At home, the Blue Jays are 29-31 this year and 28-35 on the road. As the underdog, the Blue Jays are 15-28 this year and 36-26 when favored. Toronto’s overall series record is 14-19-6, and they are down 0-2 in this series vs. the Cubs.

The Blue Jays have been a profitable run line team on the road this season, going 40-23 against the run line. They have covered the run line in six straight road games and have been a solid bet as the underdog, going 34-27 against the run line in those games. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.1, while it drops to -3.9 in losses.

The Toronto Blue Jays are on the road today against the Chicago Cubs. The O/U line for today’s game is set at 7 runs. The combined run average for Blue Jays games this season is 9.0 runs per game. Toronto has a 66-54 O/U record on the season, and the average O/U line for their games is set at 8 runs. When the O/U line is set at 7 runs, the Blue Jays have a 1-4 O/U record. In 118 of their games this season, the O/U line has been set higher than 7 runs, which accounts for 95.9% of their games.

Toronto is sending right-hander Bowden Francis to the mound today vs. the Cubs. He has made 20 appearances this year and has a record of 5-3 with a 4.92 ERA. Francis’ WHIP for the season is 1.24, and opponents are batting .244 this year. In his 56 2/3 innings of work, Francis has allowed 12 home runs. Looking back at his last outing, he pitched well vs. the Angels, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run. He picked up the win in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight outings.

For the season, the Blue Jays are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been a bit better on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .239, and their team on-base percentage of .312 is 12th in the league. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been the team’s best hitter this season, batting .319 with 25 homers and 80 RBIs.

Over his last five games, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has gone 7/23 with two homers and four RBIs. Leo Jimenez has also homered twice in his last five games but is just 3/14 in that stretch. Will Wagner is on a four-game hitting streak and has gone 8/15 in his last four games.

Cubs Records & Stats

Chicago is 61-63 overall and is 10.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Cubs are 17-26 against other NL Central teams this year. Chicago has won two straight games and is 6-4 over their last 10. At home, the Cubs are 34-27 and 27-36 on the road.

As the home favorite, the Cubs have gone 21-20 this year and 29-29 as the favorite overall. Chicago has been the underdog in 66 games, where they are 32-34. The Cubs have won four straight games as the home team, and their overall series record is 15-21-3.

Chicago has been a much better run line bet on the road this season, going 36-27 compared to 23-38 at home. The Cubs have been a better bet as the underdog, going 44-22 against the run line, compared to 15-43 as the favorite. Their average run differential in wins is +3.3, but in losses, it drops to -3.1.

The Cubs are at home against the Blue Jays today with the over/under line set at 7 runs. The Cubs’ games have averaged 8.4 runs per game this season, and their overall over/under record is 54-66. When the line has been set at 7 runs, their over/under record is 4-5-1. Overall, 90.3% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 7 runs.

Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and comes in with a record of 9-2 and ERA of 3.16. He has made 22 starts this season and has a total of 13 quality starts. Imanaga’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.07, and opponents are batting .235 off the left-hander this year. In his last outing, Imanaga finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One area of concern for Imanaga is that he has allowed 19 home runs this season.

Chicago’s offense has been pretty average this season, as they are 20th in the league in runs per game at 4.2. The Cubs are also below average in terms of home runs and batting average. However, they do have the 7th fewest strikeouts in the league and are one of the better walk-drawing teams in the league. Ian Happ has been a bright spot for the Cubs, leading the team with 22 homers and 69 RBIs, while batting just .233.

Happ has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/22 in his last six games with three homers. He also comes into the game on an eight-game hitting streak. Nico Hoerner is batting .254 for the season and is 2nd on the team with five home runs.