The San Diego Padres had won seven in a row to start the 2025 season before last night’s loss to the Chicago Cubs, and they’ll look to start a new streak in this afternoon’s rematch.
Shota Imanaga silenced the San Diego bats yesterday, but my Padres vs Cubs predictions call for a better outing at the plate for the visitors here, led by their hard-hitting third baseman.
Check out my MLB picks for this April 5 clash.
Padres vs Cubs prediction
My Padres vs Cubs best bet: Manny Machado Over 1.5 total bases (+145 at bet365)
There were some nervous faces in the San Diego Padres dugout when Manny Machado limped off last Saturday against the Atlanta Braves, but there was no sign of any limitations in his steady hitting this week in a sweep of the Cleveland Guardians.
San Diego’s star third baseman is off to a hot start this year, with 10 hits and a .345 average. He took a liking to the Cleveland rotation, including a three-hit effort on Monday, and I’m grabbing the plus odds for the Over on 1.5 bases today against the Chicago Cubs.
Machado hasn’t seen a lot of Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, but the small sample is encouraging. He’s 3-for-7 against the Chicago lefty, including two doubles.
Though he’s still waiting for his first homer of the year, his .835 OPS highlights his groove.
Boyd pitched five scoreless innings in his first start of 2025, but now he faces a Padres offense that’s scored four or more runs in six of eight contests so far. Look for Machado to lead the charge this afternoon.
Padres vs Cubs same-game parlay (SGP)
Manny Machado Over 1.5 total bases
Padres moneyline
Nick Pivetta Over 5.5 strikeouts
The Padres’ 7-0 start was somewhat overshadowed by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ win streak in the ultra-competitive NL West, but the visitors took care of business impressively with back-to-back sweeps before the bats struggled at Wrigley Field yesterday.
I expect a bounce-back effort here.
Nick Pivetta takes the ball for the visitors, and he laid down a marker with a lights-out Padres debut against the Braves, allowing just a single hit through seven innings of work.
Pivetta only picked up four strikeouts in last weekend’s start, but he had six or more Ks in five of his final six outings last season, and the Cubs have struck out a league-high 84 times already this year.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Padres vs Cubs odds
Padres vs Cubs live odds
Padres vs Cubs opening odds
- Moneyline: San Diego +100 | Chicago -120
- Run line: San Diego +1.5 (-220) | Chicago -1.5 (+180)
- Over/Under: Over 7 | Under 7
Padres vs Cubs trend
The Under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between these teams. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Cubs.
How to watch Padres vs Cubs and game info
| Location | Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL |
| Date | Saturday, 4-5-2025 |
| First pitch | 2:20 p.m. ET |
| TV | SDPA, MARQ |
| Padres starting pitcher | Nick Pivetta (1-0, 0.00 ERA) |
| Cubs starting pitcher | Matthew Boyd (0-0, 0.00 ERA) |
Padres vs Cubs latest injuries
Padres vs Cubs weather
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