The Chicago Cubs have been slumping and the Milwaukee Brewers added to their misery in the first game of their three-game series on Friday, beating Chicago 11-1.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Cubs on Saturday as they are facing Eric Lauer, who in his last start fanned 13 Phillies batters. The Cubs will try and snap a two-game losing streak, while the Brewers are looking to win their fifth in a row.
So, whose streak gets snapped, the Cubs’ losing streak or the Brewers’ stretch of four straight victories? Find out with our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Cubs vs. Brewers on April 30.
Cubs vs Brewers odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Brewers opened at -149 but that has since gone up to anywhere from -154 at WynnBet to -169 at Caesars. The Cubs began at +130 but it has also risen anywhere from +140 at BetMGM to +150 at Caesars. The total opened at eight but has dropped to 7.5 at most books with the Under at -105 and the Over at -110.
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.
Cubs vs Brewers predictions
- Prediction: Brewers ML (-154)
- Prediction: Under 7.5 (-105)
- Best bet: Brewers score first and win (+135)
Picks made on 4/30/2022 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Cubs vs Brewers game info
• Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
• Date: Saturday, April 30, 2022
• First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
• TV: MARQ, Bally Sports
Cubs vs Brewers betting preview
Starting pitchers
Justin Steele (1-2, 5.40 ERA): The 26-year-old lefty dominated the Brewers when they met at Wrigley on April 9. Steele went five innings, gave up no runs on four hits, and struck out five in a 9-0 win. The bad news is he hasn’t won since, losing April 19 against Tampa Bay, giving up four earned runs in 2 2-3 innings. His last outing was six days ago against Pittsburgh, where he gave up three earned runs on four hits in three innings.
Eric Lauer (1-0, 2.20 ERA): Lauer started the season slowly but has definitely heated up. After two no-decisions, where he gave up five runs on eight hits in 10 1-3 innings, the 26-year-old lefty blanked the Phillies through five innings, getting 13 strikeouts in the process. In his 15 1-3 innings this season, Lauer has allowed just four walks.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Cubs: Andrelton Simmons (SS), David Bote (3B), Clint Fraizer (LF).
Brewers: Victor Caratini (C), Luis Urias (2B).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Cubs are 1-7 in the last eight meetings in Milwaukee. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Brewers
Cubs vs Brewers 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
After the 11-1 shellacking the Chicago Cubs took Friday night, it would be nice to think they would have a bounce-back game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
That’s not going to happen. Brewers starter Eric Lauer was so dominant in his last outing it earned him praise from manager Craig Counsell, who said Lauer’s 13-strikeout performance will be the norm, not the exception.
Despite the Cubs getting just one run on three hits in Friday’s loss to the Brewers, they have a decent lineup. The team has a .254 batting average, the fourth-best in the majors. Left fielder Ian Happ leads the Cubs in hitting with a .317 average. Shortstop Nico Hoerner is next at .295 and right fielder Seiya Suzuki is third at .292.
One stat the Cubs are lacking in is home runs, as they are 22nd in the league with 15.
The Brewers relied on starting pitching and that should be the case again Saturday. Lauer should be able to duplicate his strong outing against the Phillies in his appearance Saturday at home against the Cubs, he just has to hope Milwaukee’s bats wake up. They are 23rd in batting average, at .217, and 21st in hits with 147.
The Brewers have been using the long ball to score runs. They are eighth in homers with 21 and 15th in runs with 85.
Milwaukee does have some trends to think about. It’s 7-0 against teams in the National League Central and 4-0 against teams that scored two runs or fewer in their previous game.
Prediction: Brewers moneyline (-154 at WynnBet)
Over/Under analysis
After the pounding the Cubs took on Friday, it is tempting to take the Over in Saturday’s second game of the three-game series with Milwaukee. The 12 runs scored Friday easily blew past the total of eight.
With the 7.5 as the total for Saturday’s game, the inclination is to jump on the Over.
That would be a mistake. Brewers starting pitcher Eric Lauer had a strong last outing allowing no runs through five innings. Cubs starter Justin Steele took the loss in his last appearance but gave up just three runs.
The Under is 3-0-1 in Milwaukee’s last four games, and the Under is 12-2-2 in the Brewers' last 16 games following a win.
The Cubs have scored just one run in three of their last four games. They are ninth in runs at 93, but take away the 21 they hung on the Pirates a week ago, and they fall all the way to 24th.
Prediction: Under 7.5 (-105 at BetMGM)
Best bet
The Brewers haven’t been offensively dominant this season, but they have been effective. In their last five victories, they scored first four times.
They are on a four-game winning streak and have outscored opponents 29-12 in those four games.
The Cubs are 1-7 in their last eight meetings in Milwaukee and 8-20 in the last 28 games against the Brewers. Steele has struggled since his win against the Brewers at Wrigley on April 9.
Steele’s last appearance was against the Pirates and he couldn’t get past the third inning, surrendering three runs on four hits.
Look for Milwaukee to jump on Steele early, get the first run and hold on for the victory.
Pick: Brewers score first and win (+135 at Betway)
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