The Chicago Cubs are coming off of a loss in extra innings to their crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox, on Sunday. Now, the team will be hoping that it can get back on track with a win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on Monday afternoon.
Will Chicago find a way to win this game against a Milwaukee team that is in first place in the NL Central? Check out our MLB picks and predictions for Game 1 of today's doubleheader between the Brewers and Cubs.
Brewers vs Cubs odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Cubs were +105 when this game opened and they’re now going from anywhere between -105 to +108. Meanwhile, the Brewers opened at -114 and can be had at -125.
As for the total, the number is rather high in this game, as it has opened up at 11. The Under is, however, priced in a way that suggests this could move to 10.5 everywhere, as it did on one sportsbook.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until first pitch and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Brewers vs Cubs predictions
Picks made on 5/30/2022 at 3:50 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2022 MLB season, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users can bet $20 and get $200 in free bets with Caesars! Sign Up Now
B) New users can get two risk-free bets up to $2,000 at PointsBet! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only
Brewers vs Cubs game info
• Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
• Date: Monday, May 30, 2022
• First pitch: 1:05 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin, Marquee Sports Network
Brewers vs Cubs betting preview
Starting pitchers
Ethan Small (3-1, 1.88 ERA in Triple-A): Small is making his MLB debut for the Brewers, but the 25-year-old has been superb in the minors this season. In eight starts in Triple-A, the lefty has struck out a total of 49 batters in his 38 1-3 innings, which says a good amount about his stuff. He could, however, experience some nerves in a road game in Chicago.
Matthew Swarmer (3-1, 2.08 ERA in Triple-A): Like Small, Swarmer is also making his first appearance in the big leagues today. And also, like Small, the righty has been rather good in Triple-A this season. Just don’t expect him to work very deep in this game, as he has pitched just 17 2-3 innings over four appearances (three starts) in May.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Brewers: Hunter Renfroe OF (Out), Freddy Peralta P (Out), Willy Adames SS (Out), Jake Cousins P (Out), Pedro Severino C (Out).
Cubs: Seiya Suzuki OF (Questionable), Yan Gomes C (Out), Alec Mills P (Out), Jason Heyward OF (Out), Nick Madrigal 2B (Out), Sean Newcomb P (Out), Michael Hermosillo OF (Out), Ethan Roberts P (Out), Adbert Alzolay P (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Brewers are 1-4 in their last five games as favorites. Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Cubs
Brewers vs Cubs picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
Ethan Small is making his MLB debut after impressing throughout his Triple-A tenure to start the season. However, the lefty doesn’t have the best of all matchups to kick of his big-league career. The Cubs are more productive at the plate against lefties than they are vs. righties, as Chicago ranks in the Top 15 amongst all teams in on-base plus slugging percentage, isolated power, and weighted runs created plus against southpaws on the year. Small could also be somewhat nervous making his first start in an iconic ballpark like Wrigley Field.
If the Cubs can do some damage against Small, it’s hard not to see them as a good value as plus-money underdogs here. Swarmer, a 28-year-old righty with a 2.08 ERA in nine games in the minors this year, should be a little better equipped to go out and perform at this level on Monday.
Small’s numbers in Triple-A are a little better than Swarmer’s, but this is just such a tough spot for a rookie that it might be a little better to back the older, more mature pitcher. Yes, it's also his major-league debut, but Swarmer's slightly more seasoned and experienced, having pitched in the minors since 2016.
And as good as Small has looked in Triple-A this season, the lefty is prone to wildness. He's issued 21 walks in 38 1-3 innings and the Cubs own a Top-10 walk rate at 9.2%. If Chicago works counts, Small could get into trouble early.
Milwaukee also happens to be just 1-4 in its last five games as a favorite. The team is also 1-6 in the last seven games it has played with a total of 11 or higher.
Prediction: Cubs moneyline (+108 at WynnBET)
Over/Under analysis
In a matchup featuring two rookies making their MLB debuts on the same day, it’s hard to not take the Over — even if the number is rather high. Both of these guys will have to shake off a lot of nerves, and it’s not going to be easy playing in one of baseball's most iconic ballparks.
On top of that, the Cubs are at their most dangerous against lefties this year, so they could do a decent job against Small. And the Brewers can always be counted on to score a few runs, and that’s especially true against a rookie like Swarmer.
The Over is also 5-1-1 in the Brewers' last seven games on the road against teams with losing records, and it’s also 7-2-1 in the team’s last 10 games against NL Central opponents. On top of that, the Over is 7-2 in Chicago’s last nine games overall, and 4-1 in the last five games in which the Cubs are playing after having lost their last game.
Prediction: Over 10.5 (-120 at DraftKings)
Best bet
Willson Contreras is in the midst of a decent month for Chicago, batting .267 with two doubles, four homers, and eight RBIs since the start of May. The 30-year-old has always been one of the more consistent producers at the catcher position.
Contreras also happens to do his best work against lefties, and he is batting .297 with three doubles, two homers, and three RBIs in 37 at-bats against southpaws this season. He’ll be looking forward to getting a crack at another lefty in this one, and that’s especially true of an inexperienced one like Small.
With Contreras being a catcher, he generally has a good idea of what a pitcher is looking to do. And we expect him to use his instincts to turn in a big day at the plate on Monday.
Pick: Willson Contreras Over 1.5 total bases (-111 at Caesars)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s MLB Brewers vs. Cubs picks, you could win $62.49 on a $10 bet?
Use our MLB parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
