Chicago Cubs (55-59) vs Minnesota Twins (62-48)
Game Info: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 at 8:05 pm (Wrigley Field)
The Line: Betting Odds: Chicago Cubs -109 / Minnesota Twins -109 — Over/Under: 6.5
The Minnesota Twins and the Chicago Cubs meet Tuesday in MLB action from Wrigley Field. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Minnesota Twins vs Chicago Cubs Prediction.
Starting Pitching Matchup
The Minnesota Twins will start Pablo Lopez here and Lopez is 10-7 with a 4.65 ERA and 142 strikeouts this season. In his career, Lopez is 1-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 25 strikeouts against the Cubs. The Chicago Cubs will start Shota Imanaga here and Imanaga is 8-2 with a 3.09 ERA and 118 strikeouts this season. This will be Imanaga’s first career start against the Twins.
Minnesota Twins Recap
The Minnesota Twins come into this one looking to build some momentum after starting the series with a 3-0 win over the Cubs in Monday’s opener. The win put the Twins’ win streak at five and gives Minnesota a chance at back-to-back series wins after sweeping the White Sox this past weekend.
Twins Trying To Close Gap In AL Central
Willi Castro leads the Twins at the dish with 104 hits including 25 doubles and 5 triples as well as 41 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Ryan Jeffers has a team-high 16 home runs, 52 RBIs and 18 doubles with a .232 batting average and .315 OBP. Carlos Santana has 14 home runs with 48 RBIs while Carlos Correa has 13 home runs, 47 RBIs and 16 doubles. Jose Miranda has 23 doubles and Castro has a team-high 106 strikeouts so far this season.
Why the Minnesota Twins will win
- The Cubs have lost each of their last nine games as home underdogs against AL Central opponents.
- The favorites have won each of the Twins’ last eight games.
- The favorites have covered the run line in each of the Twins’ last eight games.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in nine of their last 10 home games against AL Central opponents.
Chicago Cubs Recap
The Chicago Cubs come into this game hoping to bounce back after coming out flat in Monday’s series opener against the Twins, putting the Cubs at risk of failing to build on their series win over the Cardinals from this past weekend.
Cubs Trying To Shock NL Wild Card Hopefuls
Cody Bellinger has 92 hits including 16 doubles, 11 home runs and 42 RBIs. Nico Hoerner has 104 hits, 22 doubles and a .256 batting average. Michael Busch has 15 homers with 44 RBIs but has 122 strikeouts as well this season. Ian Happ also has a team-high 24 doubles with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs but also has 118 strikeouts this season. Seiya Suzuki’s also chipped in 16 homers and 53 RBIs this season.
Why the Chicago Cubs will win
- The Cubs have won each of their last four games as home underdogs against American League opponents following a loss.
- The Twins have lost six of their last seven games as favorites against NL Central opponents following a road win.
- The Twins have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven games as favorites against NL Central opponents following a road win.
- The Cubs have covered the run line in each of their last five games as home underdogs against American League opponents following a home loss.
Minnesota Twins vs Chicago Cubs Prediction
I’m leaning towards the Cubs here. I don’t love this game, but I think if there’s a spot for the Cubs to steal a game in this series, it’s likely here with Imanaga going. More often than not, Imanaga’s been the best of the bunch for the Cubs this season and I think he can hold the Twins in check, a Twins team that hasn’t been anything special against left-handed pitching as of late. On the other side, Lopez has decent numbers from an expected standpoint, but the Cubs came alive in the Cardinals series and in the last week and a half, Chicago has the edge in the bullpen as well. I think the Cubs eke out a win in a low-scoring battle here, so give me the Cubbies.