Chicago Cubs vs Toronto Blue Jays Preview
There does appear to be a chance of light rain in Chicago on Friday, as the forecasted temperature is 75 degrees. The Cubs and Blue Jays will face off at 2:20 PM ET from Wrigley Field in Chicago, and the money line odds have the Cubs as the slight favorite.
The over/under line is at 10 runs, and Kyle Hendricks will start for the Cubs, while the Blue Jays are starting Yariel Rodriguez. Toronto is 57-64 this season, and they are 5th in the AL East, while the Cubs are 4th in the NL Central. APLTV is carrying this one on TV.
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Chicago Cubs vs. Toronto Blue Jays Trends and Key Stats
- Across their last five road games, the Blue Jays are 3-2. This includes going 4-1 vs. the runline.
- The Cubs, on the other hand, have played five home games recently, during which they have recorded a 2-3 (SU) and 2-3 record.
- In their previous ten games, Blue Jays have won 7-3 as favorites and 4-6 as underdogs.
- The Cubs hold a 5-5 record as the favorite and a 6-4 record as the underdog.
Chicago Cubs vs Toronto Blue Jays Prediction
The Blue Jays’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Angels, closing out their series with a 9-2 win. After allowing two runs to the Angels in the 1st inning, the Blue Jays responded with two runs of their own. Toronto added another two runs in the 2nd inning and went on to score a total of nine runs. The Blue Jays were the slight favorite at -108 on the money line going into the game.
José Berríos put together a good start for the Blue Jays, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Toronto’s offense was carried by Daulton Varsho, who went 3/5 with a homer and three RBIs.
Toronto is 57-64 overall and 14.5 games behind the Orioles in the AL East. The Blue Jays are in 5th place in the division and have gone 17-24 in AL East games this year. They Blue Jays have won three straight games, and this came after sweeping the Angels in a three-game series.
At home, the Blue Jays are 29-31 and have gone 28-33 on the road. As the road favorite, the Blue Jays have put together a record of 13-7 this year. They are also 36-26 when favored overall. As for their overall series record, Toronto is 14-19-6 this year.
When it comes to the run line, the Blue Jays have been a better bet on the road this season, going 38-23 compared to 21-39 at home. They have covered the run line in four straight road games and have been favored in two straight games overall. Toronto’s average run differential in wins is +3.1, but it’s -4.0 in losses.
The Toronto Blue Jays are on the road today against the Chicago Cubs, with the over/under line set at 10 runs. The Blue Jays’ games have averaged 9.0 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 65-53 overall. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and their over/under record when the line is set at 10 runs is 1-0. This is the first time this season that the Blue Jays have had an over/under line set at 10 runs.
Right-hander Yariel Rodríguez is starting for the Blue Jays today as he faces the Cubs on the road. He has made 12 starts this year and has a record of 1-5 with a 3.60 ERA. Opponents have hit .212 off Rodríguez this year, and his WHIP is currently 1.30. The most recent outing for Rodríguez came on August 10th, where he took the loss, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up one earned run on five hits. He has allowed at least one homer in three of his last four outings. Per nine innings, Rodríguez has 4.5 walks compared to 9.36 strikeouts.
So far this season, the Blue Jays are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .239, but are 15th in the league in home runs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been one of the league’s top hitters this season, with a batting average of .323 to go along with 25 homers and 80 RBIs.
Guerrero Jr. has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 13/33 in his last eight games with three homers and eight RBIs. Justin Turner is on a four-game hitting streak for the Blue Jays, while Guerrero Jr. and Ernie Clement are both on three-game streaks.
The Cubs will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Guardians with a 6-1 loss. Chicago was the +111 underdog on the money line going into this road game. Things started off well for the Cubs, as they got on the board with a run in the 4th inning but gave up the lead right away as the Guardians scored two runs in the bottom of the 4th.
Chicago started Jameson Taillon, and he took the loss, going six innings and giving up four earned runs on five hits. He also issued two walks and hit a batter. The Cubs’ offense scored their only run on a double by Rafael Ortega but left the bases loaded in the 4th.
Chicago will take on the Blue Jays at home today with an overall record of 59-63, putting them 4th in the NL Central. The Cubs are 10.5 games behind the Brewers for the division lead, and they are 17-26 in divisional matchups this year. Chicago has dropped three straight games, and this comes after being swept by the Guardians in their most recent series.
At home, the Cubs are 32-27 this year and 27-36 on the road. As the home underdog, the Cubs have gone 13-7 this year, and they are 32-34 as the underdog overall. Chicago’s series record is 15-21-3 heading into today’s game, and they are an even 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Chicago has an even run differential on the season, but they have a losing run line record at 59-63. They have been a much better bet on the road, going 36-27 against the run line. The Cubs have won two straight run line bets at home, but are just 23-36 against the run line at Wrigley Field. They are 15-41 against the run line as the favorite and 44-22 against the run line as the underdog.
The Chicago Cubs have an over/under record of 53-65 this season. Their games have averaged 8.4 runs per game, and their average over/under line is 8 runs. When the line has been set at 10 runs, the Cubs have gone over once and under once. Only 4.9% of their games have had over/under lines set at 10 runs or higher, and they are currently on a two-game under streak.
Chicago is sending Kyle Hendricks to the mound today vs. the Blue Jays, and he is coming off a rough outing vs. the Twins. In that start, he took the loss, going 6 innings and giving up 2 earned runs. Looking back at his last four outings, Hendricks has given up at least three earned runs in each. His ERA for the season is 6.60, along with a record of 3-10. Opponents are batting .285 off Hendricks this year. Out of his 16 starts, Hendricks has three quality starts and is averaging 6.41 strikeouts per nine innings.
Heading into today’s game, the Cubs are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the MLB. This is also the 18th ranked scoring offense in the league when it comes to road games (4.3 runs per game). As a team, the Cubs are batting just .235, and their team on-base percentage of .311 is 14th in the league. Chicago’s offense has also been below average in terms of slugging percentage and OPS.
Chicago’s top power hitter this season has been Ian Happ, who has gone deep 20 times and is also the team’s leader in RBIs. Happ has also gone 3/7 with three homers over his last seven games. Nico Hoerner is batting .256 for the season and has an on-base percentage of .326. Isaac Paredes is 2nd on the team in RBIs (63) and has 18 homers, but he is batting just .237.
The best way to play this Blue Jays vs. Cubs matchup is to take the Cubs on the money line at -114. We have the Cubs winning this one by a score of 5-4. Looking at the starting pitchers, Kyle Hendricks is projected to finish with four strikeouts, which is the same as Yariel Rodríguez.
Offensively, the Cubs are projected to finish with eight hits, while the Blue Jays are projected to finish with eight. However, the Blue Jays are projected to finish with just four runs, which is the second lowest among all teams in action today.
Chicago Cubs vs Toronto Blue Jays Betting Tips
- Take the Blue Jays on the moneyline
- The Cubs should also cover at +1.5
- Our MLB model projects 9 runs, and we suggest taking the under
Chicago Cubs Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Yency Almonte | Out | Shoulder |
| Colten Brewer | Out | Hand |
| Tomás Nido | Out | Knee |
| Adbert Alzolay | Out | Forearm |
| Ben Brown | Out | Neck |
| Hayden Wesneski | Out | Forearm |
| Luke Little | Out | Shoulder |
| Jordan Wicks | Out | Oblique |
Toronto Blue Jays Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Bo Bichette | Out | Calf |
| Jordan Romano | Out | Elbow |
| Orelvis Martinez | Out | Suspension |
| Alek Manoah | Out | Elbow |
