Baltimore Orioles vs Chicago Cubs Preview
There is an interleague matchup between the Cubs and Orioles on Thursday, with the game starting at 6:35 PM ET from Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD. The Orioles are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -131 compared to the Cubs at +112. The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs.
Justin Steele will be on the mound for the Cubs, and he is facing off against Albert Suarez and the Orioles. Chicago is 44-49 this season, and they are on a three-game winning streak. Baltimore is 57-35 and in first place in the AL East. MASN is carrying this one on TV.
Check out BetCoco for Baltimore Orioles – Chicago Cubs odds
Baltimore Orioles Trends and Key Stats
- Across their last five road games, the Cubs are 3-2. This includes going 3-2 vs. the runline.
- The Orioles, on the other hand, have played five home games recently, during which they have recorded a 3-2 (SU) and 2-3 record.
- As the favorite, the Orioles are 5-5 over their last ten games, including going 2-8 vs. the runline.
- Looking back at their last ten games as the underdog, the Cubs have a 5-5 straight-up record and a 5-5 record vs. the runline.
Chicago cruised to a 4-0 win over the Orioles in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a two-run 2nd inning and added insurance runs in the 5th and 9th. As for the Orioles, they had their best chance to score in the 7th but left the bases loaded.
Shota Imanaga started for the Cubs and picked up the win, going six innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with six strikeouts but issued five walks. On the other side, Corbin Burnes got the start for the Orioles and took the loss, giving up three earned runs in six innings of work.
Ryan Mountcastle went 3/4 for the Orioles, but the rest of the lineup combined for just six hits. Christopher Morel had a big game for the Cubs, going 1/4 with a home run and three RBIs.
Baltimore Orioles vs Chicago Cubs Prediction
Chicago is on a three-game winning streak, and they will be looking to pick up a win on the road today vs. the Orioles. Currently, the Cubs are 5th in the NL Central, and they trail the Brewers by 10 games. So far, they are just 10-19 in divisional games.
At home, the Cubs have gone 25-21 this season, and they are 19-28 on the road. As the road underdog, the Cubs are 13-22 this year, and they are 22-27 as the underdog overall. Chicago’s series record is 10-17-2 this year.
Chicago has been a better bet on the run line on the road than at home this season, going 27-20. The Cubs have covered the run line in two straight road games and are 32-17 as underdogs. They are 13-31 as favorites on the run line. Their average run margin is -0.1, but they are 3.2 runs better than their opponents in wins and 3.2 runs worse in losses.
The Cubs are on the road today against the Orioles, with the over/under line set at 8.5 runs. Their combined run average for the season is also 8.5 runs per game, and their over/under record for the year is 40-49. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 9-10. So far this season, 27 of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs, accounting for 29.0% of their games.
Left-hander Justin Steele gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Orioles on the road. Steele has made 13 starts this year and has a record of 1-3 with an ERA of 2.95. In his last outing, he pitched well, going nine innings and giving up just one earned run. He got the win in that start vs. the Angels. Steele has made seven appearances on the road and has a record of 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA. At home, his record is 1-2 with a 3.16 ERA.
Chicago’s offense has been pretty average this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. The Cubs are 17th in home runs and have a team batting average of .231.
Christopher Morel is the Cubs’ leader in home runs this season, but he is batting just .200. Ian Happ has also struggled with a batting average of .241, but he does lead the team with 55 RBIs and is 14th in the league with 14 homers. Cody Bellinger is batting .269 and has gone deep nine times. Over his last five games, Michael Busch is hitting .429 with two homers.
With an overall record of 57-35, the Orioles lead the AL East by two games over the Yankees. The Orioles have dropped two straight games, and this includes losing the first two games of this series vs. the Cubs. So far, they have been excellent against other AL East teams, going 19-7.
At home, the Orioles are 29-19 this season, and they have been really good on the road, posting a record of 28-16. As the favorite, the Orioles are 46-29 this year, and they are 11-6 as the underdog. Baltimore’s overall series record is 20-6-3, and they have won three straight series.
When the Orioles win, they do so by an average of 3.8 runs per game, but when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.5 runs per game. Their run line record is 51-41, and they are 24-24 against the run line at home. As the underdog, they are 13-4 against the run line, and they have lost their last five games against the run line at home.
The Baltimore Orioles are playing at home against the Chicago Cubs today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. The Orioles have a combined run average of 9.1 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 47-35. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs this season, their record is 15-11. Overall, 25.0% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher.
Right-hander Albert Suárez gets the start for the Orioles today as he faces the Cubs at home. He has made 11 starts this year and has a record of 5-2 with a 2.48 ERA. Suárez has made two quality starts this year and is coming off a game in which he gave up two earned runs in six innings of work. In that outing, he gave up four hits, one walk, and one homer. Suárez has done a good job of limiting homers this year, as he has only allowed four. His ERA at home is 1.35 compared to 2.75 on the road.
As a team, the Orioles are the league’s top-scoring offense, averaging 5.1 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Baltimore also leads the league in home runs and has the top slugging percentage and OPS in the MLB. The team’s collective isolated power (ISO) of .202 is also the best mark in the league.
Gunnar Henderson has been swinging the bat well for the Orioles, going 11/34 in his last eight games with four runs and one homer. This has helped him move into the team lead with 61 RBIs, which is also 8th best in the league. Henderson is also on a six-game hitting streak. Anthony Santander is 2nd on the team with 23 homers but is batting just .233 for the season.
Our prediction for today’s Cubs vs. Orioles matchup is to take the Orioles on the money line at -131. We have the Orioles winning this one by a score of 5-4. Looking at the starting pitchers, Albert Suarez is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is good for fifth among all starters.
As for Justin Steele, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is ninth among all starters. However, we have him finishing with a better ERA than Suarez, but we still have the Orioles picking up the win.
Baltimore Orioles vs Chicago Cubs Betting Tips
- Take the Orioles on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Cubs (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over
Baltimore Orioles Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Danny Coulombe | Out | Elbow |
| Tyler Wells | Out | Elbow |
| John Means | Out | Elbow |
| Kyle Bradish | Out | Elbow |
| Alexis Cruz | Out | Personal |
| Christopher Ramirez | Out | Personal |
| Isaiah Kearns | Out | Personal |
| Félix Bautista | Out | Elbow |
Chicago Cubs Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Cody Bellinger | Questionable | Finger |
| Kyle Hendricks | Questionable | Back |
| Yency Almonte | Out | Shoulder |
| Colten Brewer | Out | Hand |
| Mike Tauchman | Out | Groin |
| Keegan Thompson | Out | Ribs |
| Adbert Alzolay | Out | Forearm |
| Julian Merryweather | Out | Ribs |
| Javier Assad | Out | Forearm |
| Ben Brown | Out | Neck |
| Caleb Kilian | Out | Teres Major |
| Jordan Wicks | Out | Oblique |
