The Chicago Cubs blew a 4-2 lead to the San Francisco Giants in the ninth inning on Monday, and they’re now mired in a 6-11 slump and have dropped to 15-24 on the road this season.
It's a similar story for San Francisco, with Monday’s comeback snapping a five-game losing streak. My Cubs vs. Giants predictions for tonight's context expect plenty of runs, as the Cubs are rolling out an embattled veteran, while the Giants counter with a bullpen game.
Read more in my MLB picks for Tuesday, June 25.
Cubs vs Giants prediction
My best bet
Over 8 (-109 at Pinnacle)
My analysis
The San Francisco Giants haven’t had an off day since June 13, and manager Bob Melvin has tasked his bullpen with an MLB-high 49 innings across the past 10 days. Additionally, only two Giants starters have pitched into the sixth frame during the stretch.
San Francisco sports a 5.88 ERA and 1.53 WHIP from the bullpen across the 10 games after posting 4.17 and 1.28 marks to start the season. The gap in the underlying xFIP (3.80 from 3.59) isn’t as drastic, but opposing hitters are also up to a .279 batting average and 3.69 walks per nine over the past 10, compared to respective .241 and 3.12 numbers to start the year.
Simply put, I’m anticipating the Chicago Cubs doing damage against an overworked and struggling collection of San Fran relievers.
The other part of the equation is Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks, who enters tonight sporting a 7.46 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and 4.09 xFIP for the season. Despite allowing just one earned run over 5 2/3 innings in his last start against the Giants, the right-hander's smoke-and-mirrors pitch arsenal doesn’t feature the swing-and-miss mix to sneak up on them in consecutive games.
Considering its 88.6 exit velocity against Hendricks last week, San Fran had an unsustainably low .182 BABIP. I'm anticipating an abundance of statistical correction tonight at Oracle.
Cubs vs Giants same-game parlay (SGP)
Over 8.5
Cody Bellinger Over 1.5 hits, runs, and RBI
A +180 same-game parlay is admittedly on the boring side, but there’s too much uncertainty with San Francisco not naming a starting pitcher.
There are murmurs lefty Carson Whisenhunt could make his MLB debut for the Giants, and while that could put a different spin on the bullpen angle discussed above, Whisenhunt sports an underwhelming 4.87 ERA and 1.57 WHIP across 15 Triple-A starts this season.
As a result, I'm backing Cody Bellinger for the second leg of this SGP. The Cubs outfielder is a lock in the middle of the lineup amid his best stretch of the season, boasting a .338 wOBA and 120 wRC+ over his past 28 games. The stretch also includes a .354 batting average, .365 wOBA, and 138 wRC+ against lefties.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Cubs vs Giants odds
Cubs vs Giants live odds
Cubs vs Giants opening odds
- Run line: Chicago -1.5 (+1.5) | San Francisco +1.5 (-165)
- Moneyline: Chicago -120 | San Francisco +100
- Over/Under: Over 8 (-110) | Under 8 (-110)
Cubs vs Giants spread and Over/Under analysis
- A number of shops were hesitant to hang a number considering San Francisco hasn't named a starting pitcher.
- The total is a consensus 8.0, with Sports Interaction and BetMGM both hanging the higher vig on the Over.
- As of early Tuesday afternoon, most sportsbooks have even -110 odds on both sides of the total.
Cubs vs Giants trend
The total has gone Over the number in 31 of the last 54 San Francisco games (+6.95 Units / 12% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs Giants.
Cubs vs Giants game info
| Location: | Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA |
| Date: | Tuesday, 6-25-2024 |
| First pitch: | 9:45 p.m. ET |
| TV: | BSSO, BSMW |
| Cubs starting pitcher: | Kyle Hendricks (1-4, 7.46 ERA) |
| Giants starting pitcher: | TBD (Bullpen game) |
Cubs vs Giants latest injuries
Cubs vs Giants weather
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