Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers Betting Preview/Prop Picks

National League Central Division rivals meet up on Friday night as the Milwaukee Brewers host the Chicago Cubs. Even though this game is going to be played in Milwaukee, this matchup tends to have plenty of Cubs fans in attendance to cheer on the road team.

The 2022 season couldn’t have started off any better for the Cubs, but things have gone the opposite way in a hurry. Chicago is now just 8-11 on the year, and they are in the middle of a long and daunting road trip.

Milwaukee comes into this game with a record of 13-7, and they are playing like the Central Division betting favorite that they are. The Brewers have won four of their last five games, including a three-game sweep in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. 

The Milwaukee Brewers are the moneyline betting favorites at -150 in the series opener against the Chicago Cubs.

Hendricks Heads to the Mound

Kyle Hendricks will take the mound for the Cubs in the series opener on Friday night, and that’s usually a good thing for Chicago. Hendricks is just 1-1 with a 3.98 ERA this season, but he is one of the better pitchers in the National League.

Pitching has been a problem outside of Hendricks and the bullpen, but the offense has been great for the Cubs. Chicago is near the top of the National League in several offensive categories, including batting average.

Ian Happ is hitting .333 to begin the year for the Cubs, and Seiya Suzuki has four home runs and 14 RBIs to lead the way.

Brewers Need Bats to Wake Up

If the Milwaukee Brewers are going to win the division crown this season, then they have to find a way for the bats to wake up. Milwaukee is hitting just .209 as a team, and that won’t get the job done as the season moves along. 

Milwaukee is led on offense by Willy Adames as he has hit four home runs and also has 12 RBIs this season. The Brewers still need more from Christian Yelich, and this team is slugging just .332 on the year.

Adrian Houser will make the start on Friday night, and he has gone 1-2 with a 3.52 ERA to begin the year. If Houser delivers a quality start, then the bullpen should do the rest for the Cubs.

Brewers Beat the Cubs

The Brewers are clearly the better overall team in this matchup, but it is the Cubs that have an advantage in the pitching matchup. Kyle Hendricks has a history of pitching well against this Brewers team, and he will be tough on the Brewers lineup on Friday night.

Milwaukee has a dominant bullpen, and they are nearly impossible to beat when they have a lead after six innings. The Brewers continue to struggle to score runs at times, but they should be able to find just enough offense to win this game. 

Bet the Milwaukee Brewers -150 as they pick up a win over the Chicago Cubs in the series opener at American Family Field.

Prop Picks

Chicago Cubs (-120) UNDER 3.5 Runs

Milwaukee is allowing 3.63 runs per 9 innings on defense, which ranks No. 8 in the league, while holding opposing teams to a .616 OPS, which ranks No. 4. Scores have gone UNDER in seven of the Brewers’ last 10 games overall.

With Dunkel predicting a Milwaukee victory by the score of 3-2, take the Cubs (-120) to finish UNDER their Vegas team total of 3.5 runs against the Brewers.

Adrian Houser (-140) UNDER 2.5 Earned Runs

Houser has allowed 6 earned runs over 15.3 innings this season for an earned run average of 3.52. The Milwaukee right-hander has allowed less than 2.5 earned runs in two of his three starts this season.

With Dunkel predicting a Brewers victory while holding the Cubs UNDER their team run total, take Houser (-140) to finish UNDER 2.5 earned runs against Chicago.

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