The MLB betting board for Thursday night is headlined by a battle between a pair of division leaders as the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants begin a four-game set at Oracle Park.
Both of these clubs entered this season without the highest of expectations but have played very well and will look to continue their success as we head into the summer.
Here are our best free Cubs vs. Giants picks and predictions for Thursday, June 3, with the first pitch scheduled for 9:45 p.m. ET.
Cubs vs Giants game info
• Location: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
• Date: Thursday, June 3, 2021
• Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
• TV: Marquee Sports Network, NBCS BA
Cubs vs Giants odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare MLB odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
MLB Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonSan Francisco hit the TwinSpires odds board as -119 chalk and is up to -132 at 7 p.m. ET. The Giants are nabbing 62 percent of moneyline tickets and 66 percent of moneyline cash in this battle of division leaders. The total rose from 8 to 8.5, then fell back to 8, with the Under seeing 54 percent of bets and 59 percent of money.
Check out the full line movement for this gameCubs vs Giants betting preview
Starting pitchers
Zach Davies (2-2, 4.65 ERA): The veteran right-hander had a rough April but really settled down in May, allowing one run or fewer in five of his last six starts.
In his last two games, he has allowed just six hits and one run through 10 innings against the Reds and Cardinals.
Anthony DeSclafani (4-2, 3.56 ERA): DeSclafani is having a solid first season in San Fran, pitching to a 1.15 WHIP with an opponent batting average of .218 in 11 starts.
He's coming off a strong outing against the Dodgers last Friday where he allowed two runs in 4 2-3 innings. That performance allowed him to bounce back from a disastrous start against the Dodgers five days earlier when he surrendered 10 runs before getting the hook midway through the third.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Cubs: Nico Hoerner SS (Out), David Bote 3B (Out), Matt Duffy 3B (Out), Jake Marisnick CF (Out), Jason Heyward RF (Out).
Giants: Mike Yastrzemski RF (Questionable), Evan Longoria 3B (Questionable), Brandon Belt 1B (Out), Darin Ruf 1B (Out), Tommy La Stella 2B (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Giants are 23-8 in their last 31 games as a home favorite. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Giants.
Moneyline pick
The Cubs did the Giants a favor by sweeping their three-game series against the Padres earlier this week. Chicago has now won nine of its last 10 games to sit atop the NL Central with a 32-23 mark.
With San Diego losing three in a row at Wrigley Field, the Giants have now taken over first place in the NL West with a 34-21 record. San Fran is coming off an 8-1 loss to the Angels but has still gone 6-2 in its last eight games.
Both of these squads have been almost identical at the plate, with the Giants ninth in the majors in scoring (4.76 runs per game) and 10th in OPS (.730), while the Cubs are 11th in scoring (4.64 runs/game) and eighth in OPS (.736).
Both teams also have solid starters on the mound with Chicago getting some strong play from Zach Davies lately, while Anthony DeSclafani has been effective for San Fran.
That said, the season-long stats for the two pitchers heavily favor DeSclafani, who has an expected weighted on-base average of .294 and an expected ERA of 3.42. Davies ranks near the bottom of the majors in both categories with an xwOBA of .399 and an xERA of 6.89.
With the Cubs also making the overnight trip to the West Coast after a big win last night, they could be due for a letdown, especially against a Giants team that has gone 14-6 in its previous 20 games following a loss. Take San Fran's moneyline odds.
PREDICTION: ML San Francisco (-123)
Over/Under pick
Davies' analytics don't look good, but he did turn things around in May, pitching to a 1.72 ERA and allowing just one home run through 31 1-3 innings across six starts. While teams hit .343 against Davies' changeup in April, that dropped to just .220 last month.
Meanwhile, DeSclafani has been very reliable with the exception of that brutal start against the Dodgers on May 23. Take that outlier out of the equation and DeSclafani has a 2.17 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP in his 10 other starts this year.
Both teams also have excellent bullpens. The Cubs bullpen is second in the majors with a collective ERA of 2.64 while ranking fourth with a WHIP of 1.21. San Francisco's relievers rank sixth with a WHIP of 1.24.
Although the Giants plate an impressive 5.22 runs per game on the road, that number plummets to just 4.13 runs per game at home. And while the Cubs score 5.06 runs per game at home, they average just 4.08 runs per game on the road.
PREDICTION: Under 8.5 (-110)
Cubs vs Giants betting card
- ML San Francisco (-123)
- Under 8.5 (-110)
Picks made on 6/3/2021 at 10:30 a.m. ET
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