The Chicago Cubs opened their season with a home win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. The second match of the four-game series was postponed on Friday due to inclement weather and will be made up later in May.
Can the Cubs pull off another win against the reigning NL Central champs, or will the Brew Crew get their first dub of 2022?
Find out more in our free MLB picks and predictions for Brewers vs. Cubs on Saturday, April 9.
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Brewers vs Cubs odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Brewers opened as -145 favorites on the moneyline, and have since moved to -155. The total has been set at 8.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Brewers vs Cubs predictions
Picks made on 4/08/2022 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Brewers vs Cubs game info
• Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
• Date: Saturday, April 9, 2022
• First pitch: 2:20 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin, Marquee Sports Network
Brewers vs Cubs betting preview
Starting pitchers
Brandon Woodruff (2021: 9-10, 2.56 ERA): If it wasn't for Corbin Burnes, there would be much more talk about the 28-year-old that finished 5th in Cy Young voting last season. Woodruff has quietly been one of the best starting pitchers in the NL for the last few years, with an ERA+ of 146 over his last three seasons.
There may be some cause for concern for rust as Woodruff was knocked around quite good in spring training, but it's not like those games mean anything, anyways.
Justin Steele (2021: 4-4, 4.26 ERA): The Cubs are very high on Steele, who was a draft pick by the team back in 2014. He made his MLB debut last season against Milwaukee, and the southpaw finished his rookie campaign in the big leagues with a league-average ERA+ of 100.
Steele looked sharp in his four spring starts, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing only three hits.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Brewers: Luis Urias 2B (Out), Pedro Severino C (Out).
Cubs: Andrelton Simmons SS (Out), David Bote 3B (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Brewers are 6-1 in the last seven meetings in Chicago. 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
Brandon Woodruff should have relative ease on Saturday, as he's faced this Cubs team 13 times in his career and boasts a 2.75 ERA during that span.
The Cubs were silenced by Brewers ace Corbin Burnes for the first four innings on Opening Day, and if it wasn't for a rough fifth inning, the Brewers most likely would have won.
Even more so, Ian Happ and Jayson Heyward combined for five of Chicago's eight hits on Thursday. Woodruff owns both of them historically, as both Happ and Heyward are batting below the Mendoza Line (.200) in 20 at-bats each.
If there is a long-term offensive bright spot for the Cubs, Seiya Suzuki had a fine MLB debut for David Ross's ballclub. A Japanese phenom, the 27-year-old collected two walks and a single on Opening Day. Suzuki is currently batting sixth in the Cubs order but should be hitting higher in the lineup in due time.
Lefty Justin Steele takes the mound for the Cubbies, as Marcus Stroman's debut has been pushed back to Sunday. The Brewers don't exactly have an imposing offense, but even a couple of runs could be more than enough to put the Cubs away.
Milwaukee was properly-favored at -170 on Opening Day, and now we can get them at -145 with basically the same caliber of pitcher as Burnes.
Prediction: Brewers ML (-145 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
The total for Opening Day was 9, so being able to get both of these underwhelming offenses at 8 is an ideal play.
Both offenses are well below-average, and Woodruff is an elite arm. The Brewers have two of the best relievers in all of baseball, with All-Stars Devin Williams and Josh Hader at the back of the pen. Neither one pitched in the first game, so they should each be available for Saturday.
Chicago has also really improved its bullpen, adding veteran arms Mychal Givens and David Robertson. Runs will be at an absolute premium throughout the full nine innings so I'm very confident taking the Under here.
Prediction: Under 8 (-115 at DraftKings)
Best bet
Despite being past his prime, Andrew McCutchen still puts together solid at-bats and can draw walks with the best of them. Although he's no longer the MVP-calibre outfielder that he once was as a member of the Pirates, the 35-year-old got off to a great start with his new club on Thursday with two doubles.
McCutchen hit cleanup in that game and should be hitting leadoff Saturday as the Brewers face a southpaw. McCutchen has been elite against lefties throughout his career, with a batting average of .307.
Cutch should have no problem getting to a young lefty like Steele in this one. Considering total bases don't count walks, I'll look towards the veteran outfielder's run total and target that instead.
Prediction: McCutchen Over 0.5 Runs (-125 at bet365)
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