| MATCHUP | New York Mets | Chicago Cubs |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 7-13 | 10-9 |
| Where | Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois | |
| When | Saturday, April 18, 2026 | |
| Time | 02:20 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Chicago Cubs Preview
The Chicago Cubs have a 10-9 record this season and are sitting in the fifth place of the NL Central. They have a 5-5 home record and are coming off a 12-4 home win against the Mets. Their previous three games were an 11-2 and a 10-4 road win, and a 7-13 road loss to the Phillies.
The Cubs have a .255 batting average this season, .346 OBP and .402 Slugging percentage. Chicago’s pitching staff has a 3.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Nico Hoerner is the team’s best hitter with a .342 batting average, also leading the team in RBI with 20. Ian Happ adds a team‑high 5 home runs.
Jameson Taillon (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Cubs, and he has a 0-1 record, 4.86 ERA and 1.26 WHIP.
New York Mets Preview
The New York Mets have a 7-13 record this season and are sitting in the fifth place of the NL East. They have a 4-7 away record and are coming off a 4-12 road loss against the Cubs. They lost their previous three games on the road to the Dodgers by scores of 2-8, 1-2, and 0-4.
The Mets have a .229 batting average this season, .293 OBP and .339 Slugging percentage. New York’s pitching staff has a 4.21 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Francisco Alvarez is the team’s best hitter with a .294 batting average, also adding a team‑high 4 home runs. Bo Bichette leads the team in RBI with 9.
Freddy Peralta (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Mets, and he has a 1-1 record, 3.86 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
New York Mets @ the Chicago Cubs Betting Trends: April 18, 2026
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Jameson Taillon Record this season: 0-1 ERA: 4.86
- Home Record: 0-0
- Last 5 against Mets: 3-1
Why the Chicago Cubs will win
- The Mets have lost each of their last nine games.
- The Cubs have won 10 of their last 11 games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
- The Cubs have covered the run line in 10 of their last 11 games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
- The Mets have failed to cover the run line in nine of their last 10 games.
- The Mets have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last four day games.
- The Cubs have won the first inning in four of their last five day games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
- The Cubs have led after 5 innings in eight of their last nine home games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Freddy Peralta Record this season: 1-1 ERA: 3.86
- Road Record: 0-0
- Last 5 against Cubs: 3-2
Why the New York Mets will win
- The Cubs have lost five of their last six games as favorites following a win.
- The Mets have won four of their last five games as underdogs against the Cubs following a loss.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in each of their last eight home games against NL East opponents following a home win.
- The Mets have covered the run line in eight of their last nine day games at Wrigley Field following a loss.
- The Mets have led after 5 innings in seven of their last nine day games against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Cubs’ last six games have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Thirteen of the Mets’ last 15 day games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Mets’ last four day games at Wrigley Field.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in four of the Cubs’ last five games.
Chicago Cubs Player Prop Facts
- Ian Happ has hit a home run in each of the Cubs’ last three home games against NL East opponents.
- Jameson Taillon has recorded a win in each of his last six appearances in day games against NL teams that held a losing record.
- Jameson Taillon has recorded seven or more strikeouts in four of his last five home appearances against NL opponents that held a losing record.
- Seiya Suzuki has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 13 appearances against NL East opponents.
- Nico Hoerner ranks T4th in the league in Hits (26) this season.
New York Mets Player Prop Facts
- Freddy Peralta has recorded a win in each of his last five appearances with his team as a road underdog.
- Freddy Peralta has recorded seven or more strikeouts in four of his last five appearances in day games against teams that held a winning record.
- Juan Soto has hit a home run in five of his last seven appearances with his team as a road underdog against NL Central opponents.
- Juan Soto has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances with the Mets as underdogs against NL opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Cubs rank 3rd in the league for on-base percentage this season (.346).
- The Cubs rank 3rd in the league for hits allowed this season (142).
- The Mets rank 30th in the league for on-base percentage this season (.293).
- The Mets rank T27th in the league for home runs this season (14).
Mets vs Cubs Prediction
The Mets are 5-3 in their last 8 meetings against the Cubs but both teams are tied 4-4 in their last 8 meetings in Chicago.
In this Mets vs Cubs Prediction, the Cubs are coming as -115 home favorites. The Mets have been on a free fall with nine straight defeats, but they are going up against Jameson Taillon, who has 9 earned runs in his last two starts and was torched in his only start against the Mets last season. On the flip side, Freddy Peralta has just one earned run in two of his last three starts, and with the game being priced as it is, the books also think that the Mets have high chances of winning, despite their recent struggles. I will take a stab with the Mets in this one.