The first-place Milwaukee Brewers are wrapping up their four-game set against their National League Central foes, the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
It hasn’t gone well for the fourth-place Cubs, who have lost two of three. The Cubs send Kyle Hendricks to the mound to face Jason Alexander, who is making his major league debut.
Can the Clubs salvage a split in the series, or will the Brewers take yet another game? Find out with our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Brewers vs Cubs on June 1.
Brewers vs Cubs odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
Sportsbooks didn’t have this game on the board until early Wednesday morning because of the uncertainty surrounding Milwaukee’s starting pitcher. Both teams opened at -108, but the Brewers shot up to -120 while the Cubs dropped to +104. The total has stayed at 8.0 with the Over at -105 and the Under at -115.
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 6/1/2022 at 10:30 a.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: Wednesday, June 1, 2022
• First pitch: 8:05 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin, Marquee Sports Network
Brewers vs Cubs betting preview
Starting pitchers
Jason Alexander (6-2, 2.64 ERA in Triple-A): Because of all the injuries to the Brewers’ pitching staff, Alexander got the call Tuesday that he would make his first major league start on Wednesday. The 29-year-old righty has pitched well at Triple-A Nashville this season, posting a 6-2 record, with a 2.64 ERA. He has a 1.10 WHIP, 33 strikeouts, and 12 walks over 47 2-3 innings. Alexander is a ground-ball pitcher, posting a 63.3% ground-ball rate.
Kyle Hendricks (2-5, 5.20 ERA): It’s been a struggle for the 32-year-old right-hander this season. In his last outing against the Cincinnati Reds, he allowed four runs on five hits while striking out one and walking one over a laborious four innings of work. The 5.20 ERA is the highest of his career, going up from 4.77 last year. Before 2021, Hendricks had posted a sub-3.50 ERA every season between 2016-2020.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Brewers: Hunter Renfroe RF (Out), Kolten Wong 2B (Questionable), Brandon Woodruff SP (Out), Luis Perdomo RP (Out), Freddy Peralta SP (Out), Jake Cousins RP (Out), Willy Adames SS (Out), Pedro Severino C (Out).
Cubs: Seiya Suzuki LF (Out), Jason Heyward RF (Questionable), Chris Martin RP (Out), Jonathan Villar SS (Out), Wade Miley SP (Out), Nick Madrigal 2B (Questionable), Michael Hermosillo CF (Out), Yan Gomes C (Out), Sean Newcomb RP (Out), Ethan Roberts SP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 6-1-2 in the last nine meetings between the two teams at Wrigley Field. 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
The Chicago Cubs are 11 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers even after last night's win. It was only the fifth time in 18 games they have prevailed in a one-run game.
If the Cubs are going to gain any ground on the Brewers, they have to be more competitive in close games. They get a chance on Wednesday when they face a pitcher making his Major League debut.
Jason Alexander was called up from Triple-A due to the rash of injuries to Brewers’ starting pitchers. He joins Ethan Small among Brewers hurlers to make their big-league debuts this season.
He will face a lineup that ranks 17th in MLB in batting average at .236. The Cubs aren’t in the Top 10 in runs, hits, or home runs, but they narrowly crack the Top 10 in on-base percentage.
Alexander will be trying to add to the Brewers' impressive pitching stats. They are second in quality starts with 22, first in strikeouts with 500, and fourth in ERA at 3.36.
But he is untested and he’ll be making his first start in the majors on the road, without a friendly fan base to put him at ease. The Cubs got to starter Eric Lauer on Tuesday night and will probably do the same to Alexander.
The 29-year-old has not featured overpowering stuff, striking out just 6.23 batters per nine innings this season in the minors. The free-swinging Cubs could benefit when Alexander misses over the heart of the plate.
Prediction: Cubs moneyline (+104 at UniBet)
Over/Under analysis
Cubs’ starter Kyle Hendricks has an ERA of 5.20 and his quality starts have become the exception rather than the norm.
On the opposite side, Alexander doesn't miss a ton of bats and is making his first MLB start on the road. This has all the makings of a high-scoring game.
The trends favor the Over as well. The Over for the Brewers is 4-1 over the last five when they are the favorite and 4-1 when they are on the road.
The Over is 6-1-2 in the last nine meetings between the two teams in Chicago and 12-3-2 in the last 17 overall.
The Over is also 5-1 in the Cubs' last six home games and 4-1-2 when they are listed as a home underdog.
The Brewers lead the league in home runs with 70 and with little wind at game time, Milwaukee might be hitting a few dingers at Wrigley Field. Hendricks has given up 11 on the season, tops on the Cubs pitching staff and fourth-most among all qualified starters.
Prediction: Over 8 (-105 at BetRivers)
Best bet
Milwaukee’s Luis Urias has been on a tear at the plate since coming back from a quadriceps injury. The third baseman has five home runs in 98 at-bats and blasted one in the opening game of Monday's doubleheader at Wrigley.
The 24-year-old is batting second in Milwaukee's lineup, which means he has plenty of protection behind him in the form of Christian Yelich, Tyrone Taylor, and Rowdy Tellez.
Hendricks has certainly shown that he can serve up the long ball, allowing 11 home runs so far this season. With +650 odds on Urias to go yard, you won't find a better matchup for him to follow through on his power potential.
Pick: Luis Urias to hit a home run (+650)
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