Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres Prediction 9/29/2026 Today’s MLB Picks

The Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres meet Tuesday in MLB playoff action at Petco Park. Here’s a Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres Prediction. This article will include a Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres Pick.

Chicago Cubs Betting Preview

The Chicago Cubs are 89-73 on the year and just played the Marlins and Red Sox. The Chicago Cubs are batting .251 on the season and have a .339 OBP and a .428 slugging percentage. The Chicago Cubs’ pitching staff has a 4.12 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the Chicago Cubs with 175 hits and 107 RBI, while Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner have combined for 326 hits and 165 RBI.

Matthew Boyd gets the ball for the Chicago Cubs, and he is 10-5 with a 3.91 ERA and 96 strikeouts this season. Boyd is 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA and 14 strikeouts in his career against the San Diego Padres. Boyd is 0-1 with a 1.66 ERA and 23 strikeouts in his postseason career.

San Diego Padres Betting Preview

The San Diego Padres are 91-71 on the year after playing the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. The San Diego Padres are batting .244 on the season, have a .319 OBP, and have a .398 slugging percentage. The San Diego Padres’ pitching staff has a 3.99 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Fernando Tatis Jr. leads the San Diego Padres with 181 hits and 83 RBI, while Jackson Merrill and Ty France have combined for 286 hits and 159 RBI.

Michael King gets the ball for the San Diego Padres, and he is 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA and 159 strikeouts this season. King is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 1 strikeout in his career against the Chicago Cubs. King is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in his postseason career.

Why the San Diego Padres will win

• The Cubs have lost each of their last seven night games against the Padres at Petco Park following a win.
• The Padres have won each of their last eight games as home favorites against NL opponents.
• The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six playoff games as road underdogs.
• The Padres have covered the run line in five of their last six games as favorites against the Cubs.
• The Cubs have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four night playoff games against NL West opponents.
• The Cubs have trailed after 5 innings in four of their last five night playoff games.

Why the Chicago Cubs will win

• The Padres have lost five of their last six games as favorites against NL Central opponents following a win.
• The Cubs have won each of their last five games against the Padres.
• The Padres have failed to cover the run line in each of their last eight games as favorites against NL Central opponents following a win.
• The Cubs have covered the run line in 14 of their last 15 games as road underdogs.
• The Padres have trailed after 3 innings in four of their last five home night games.
• The Cubs have led after 5 innings in four of their last five night games against NL West opponents.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Padres’ last eight home games against NL opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
• Each of the Cubs’ last four playoff games against NL West opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• There has been no run scored during the first inning in 11 of the Padres’ last 12 home games against NL Central opponents.
• There has been no run scored during the first inning in eight of the Cubs’ last nine night games at Petco Park.

San Diego Padres Player Prop Facts

• Manny Machado has hit a home run in three of the Padres’ last five games at Petco Park against opponents that held a winning record.
• Michael King has recorded a win in four of his last five appearances.
• Michael King has recorded five or more strikeouts in each of his last six appearances against NL opponents that held a winning record.
• Jackson Merrill has recorded at least one hit in each of the Padres’ last 12 games as favorites against NL opponents.
• Fernando Tatis Jr. ranks 6th in the league in Steals (38) this season.

Chicago Cubs Player Prop Facts

• Matthew Boyd has recorded a win in three of his last four appearances against NL West opponents.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong has hit a home run in three of the Cubs’ last four road games against the Padres.
• Matthew Boyd has recorded four or more strikeouts in seven of his last eight road appearances against NL opponents.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cubs’ last 11 games as underdogs.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for Slugging Percentage (.570) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Padres rank T9th in the league for strikeouts against this season (1310).
• The Padres rank 9th in the league for runs allowed this season (681).
• The Cubs rank 1st in the league for slugging percentage this season (.428).
• The Cubs rank 1st in the league for walks this season (674).

Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres Prediction

The Padres should be favored at home with King on the mound, but this franchise has a history of coming up small when the lights get bright. An explosive, confident Cubs team could go on the road and spring an upset. Boyd is a veteran pitcher who has been in big spots before, and on the road through 66 innings, he has a 2.86 ERA and a .220 allowed batting average. In his last 35.2 innings, Boyd has allowed 29 hits and 13 earned runs. I’ve seen the Padres in October before, and it doesn’t end well typically. Give me the Cubs and the plus money.

Randy Chambers's Pick: Chicago Cubs