After missing the playoffs each of the last three seasons, the Chicago Cubs are hoping to rebound this year and make a push in the NL Central.
However, they have a tough start to the season with a three-game series on the road against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers.
Having already lost the opening game of the series, the MLB odds have the Cubs as the underdog entering Game 2, but one of their best bats has an interesting matchup.
Find out where my best bets lie in our MLB picks and predictions for Cubs vs. Rangers on Saturday, March 30.
Cubs vs Rangers odds
Cubs vs Rangers predictions
While it’s been a few down years in the Windy City, the Chicago Cubs are shaping up to be competitive in the NL Central this season. To take that next step forward under new manager Craig Counsell, they’ll need the key players they’ve invested in to step up.
One such player is Cody Bellinger, who signed a three-year, $80 million deal this offseason to remain with Chicago. While the former NL MVP hasn’t looked like the same stud who made two All-Stars early in his career with the Dodgers, he proved last year that he’s much better than the guy who batted under .215 in back-to-back seasons.
Now, Bellinger is in Year 2 with the Cubbies and can build on his bounceback 2023 season — he hit 26 home runs and batted .307. Against the Texas Rangers on Saturday night, he has an interesting matchup against pitcher Cody Bradford.
Bradford has minimal Big League experience after making his debut last season and having a few hiccups. He finished with a 5.30 ERA and gave up 56 hits in 56 innings while leaning predominantly on his fastball.
The 26-year-old goes to his four-seamer 54.5% of the time and gave up 33 of his 56 hits using it last season — he also allowed eight of his 11 home runs with it. That bodes well for Bellinger, who hit 11 home runs, 22 doubles, and a triple off fastballs last season with a .474 slugging percentage.
The only other pitch Bradford goes to more than 20% of the time is his changeup, which Bellinger would almost prefer. He hit .446 with a .677 slugging percentage off of changeups last season.
My best bet: Cody Bellinger Over 1.5 total bases (+120 at bet365)
Cubs vs Rangers same-game parlay
Cody Bellinger Over 1.5 total bases
Corey Seager Over 1.5 total bases
Adolis Garcia Over 0.5 hits
While we’re backing Bellinger, the Rangers are set up to have a bigger game overall and that’s thanks to two of their All-Star bats, Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia. Seager is coming off his second World Series MVP and his best season as a pro last year.
He had a career-high .390 OBP and .623 SLG while hitting 42 doubles and 33 home runs. Look for him to continue his dominance against the Cubs alongside Garcia, who already had two hits in four at-bats in the season opener.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Cubs vs Rangers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- The Rangers opened as a -125 favorite against the Cubs with minimal movement, some books are offering the Cubs moneyline as high as +111.
- Last season, on their way to winning the World Series, the Rangers went 90-72 in the regular season and 13-4 in the postseason.
- The Over/Under opened as low as 8.5 and as high as 9.5 with most books settling in at 9 as of Saturday morning.
- The Rangers were one of the best Over teams in the MLB last season at 93-75-11 while the Cubs were a middling 80-77-5.
Trend to know
The Rangers have gone Over the total in 48 of their last 81 home games (+18.35 units / 21% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Rangers
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Cubs vs Rangers game info
| Location: | Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX |
| Date: | Saturday, March 30, 2024 |
| First pitch: | 7:05 p.m. ET |
| TV: | MARQ, Bally Sports Southwest |
Starting pitchers
Kyle Hendricks (0-0, 0.00 ERA): The 34-year-old Hendricks is a few seasons removed from his prime and has struggled with injuries the last several years in Chicago. Despite that, he’s still a reliable starter and is coming off a season in which he finished with a 3.74 ERA and pitched over 130 innings.
Cody Bradford (0-0, 0.00 ERA): At just 26 years old, Bradford is relatively green when it comes to MLB experience. He’s pitched just one season in the majors and had his ups and downs, but did hold it together out of the bullpen in the playoffs.
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