Justin Steele heads to the mound for the Chicago Cubs as they face the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series with a Cubs-Phillies prediction and pick.
Cubs-Phillies Projected Starters
Justin Steele vs. Tanner Banks
Justin Steele (5-5) with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP
Last Start: Steele went 2.2 innings in his previous start, giving up two hits and three walks. He would not allow a run but take the no-decision as the Cubs lost to the Athletics.
2024 Road Splits: Steele is 2-2 on the road with a 2.77 ERA and a .221 opponent batting average.
Tanner Banks (2-2) with a 3.78 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP
Last Start: Banks has been primarily used out of the bullpen, but did start back on April 8th for the White Sox. He went 2.1 innings giving up two hits and a run in a loss.
2024 Home Splits: In 26 appearances at home this year, Banks is 2-0 with a 4.03 ERA and a .277 opponent batting average.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cubs-Phillies Odds
Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (+132)
Moneyline: -120
Philadelphia Phillies: +1.5 (-160)
Moneyline: +102
Over: 8.5 (-110)
Under: 8.5 (-110)
How to Watch Cubs vs. Phillies
Time: 6:40 PM ET/ 3:40 PM PT
TV: MARQ/NBCSP
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cubs are 13th in runs scored this year while sitting 16th in batting average, tenth in on-base percentage, and 15th in slugging. Ian Happ led the way this year. He is hitting .247 this year with a .343 on-base percentage. Happ has 25 home runs and 85 RBIs. Further, he has stolen 13 bases and scored 89 times. Seiya Suzuki is also having a solid year. He is hitting .279 on the year with a .350 on-base percentage. Suzuki has 21 home runs and 71 RBIs while scoring 71 times on the year. Rounding out the top bats on the year is Cody Bellinger. Bellinger is hitting .266 this year with a .326 on-base percentage. He has 18 home runs, 73 RBIs, and has scored 70 times.
Dansby Swanson has been solid in the last week. He is hitting .345 in the last week with two home runs, six RBIs, and seven runs scored. Meanwhile, Seiya Suzuki has been great in the last week. He is hitting .364 in the last week with a home run, four RBIs, and two runs scored. Ian Happ rounds out the best bats in the last week. He is hitting .269 in the last week with two home runs, three RBIs, and five runs scored. The Cubs are hitting .274 in the last week with nine home runs and 31 runs scored in seven games.
Why The Phillies Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Phillies are fourth in majors in runs scored while sitting fourth in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage, and sixth in slugging. Kyle Schwarber has led the way this year. He is hitting .249 this year with a .367 on-base percentage. He has 36 home runs with 99 RBIs. He has also scored 106 times this year. Meanwhile, Bryce Harper is playing well. He is hitting .283 on the year with a .370 on-base percentage. He has 29 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 82 runs scored. Rounding out the top bats on the year is Nick Castellanos. He is hitting .247 this year with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs, and 75 runs scored.
Alec Bohm comes into the game hot. He is hitting .250 in the last week with two home runs, six RBIs, and three runs scored this week. Meanwhile, Nick Castellanos is hitting well. He is hitting .333 in the last week with two home runs, four RBIs, and four runs scored. Bryce Harper is not hitting well, but driving in runs. He is hitting just .179 but with a .258 on-base percentage. He has a home run, four RBIs, and four runs scored. Rounding out the top bats on the week is Trea Turner. He is hitting .355 in the last week with a home run, four RBIs, and four runs scored. The Phillies are hitting .245 in the last week with nine home runs and 20 runs scored in the last seven games.
Current Phillies have 44 career at-bats against Justin Steele. They have hit .227 against Steele. Nick Castellanos is 6-14 with three doubles, a home run, and an RBI. Meanwhile, Kyle Schwarber is one for seven with a home run and an RBI.
Final Cubs-Phillies Prediction & Pick
Justin Steele has been solid since the start of August. He has given up just six earned runs in 29.1 innings of work. Further, the Cubs are 5-1 in those games. Further, the Phillies will be going with a bullpen game with Tanneer Banks starting. Still, the two offensive units have been similar in the last week. They are both scoring just over four runs per game in the last week. The Phillies should be able to get on base against Justin Steele. He is giving up over a base runner per inning, and the Phillies will capitalize on that. With their offense, they should be able to get an early lead in this one. The Phillies are in the chase for the top seed and the Cubs have been eliminated from playoff contention, so take the Phillies in this one.
Final Cubs-Phillies Prediction & Pick: Phillies ML (+102)
The post Cubs vs. Phillies prediction, odds, pick – 9/24/2024 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
