The red-hot Chicago Cubs take their show on the road this week, and their first stop is in New York to take on the Mets. Monday night will be the first of three straight nights of baseball between the former NL East rivals, and this is a meaningful series.
Chicago comes into this series having won 13 of their last 16 games, and they are climbing up the standings in a hurry. The Cubs are now sitting at 58-54 on the year, and they are just 1.5 games out of first in the NL Central.
The New York Mets come into this series heading in the opposite direction, as they have dropped six straight games. New York was willing to trade away some talent at the deadline, and they are falling out of the playoff race in a hurry.
The Mets are the moneyline betting favorites at -125 on Monday night in the series opener against the Cubs.
Cubs Killing the Baseball
The Chicago Cubs come into this series with a ton of momentum, especially on offense, as they lead MLB in total runs since the All-Star Break. Chicago scored 14 total runs in their last two games, and they just continue to come up with clutch hits.
Cody Bellinger was named Player of the Month in July after a huge month, and he has started off August hot as well. The Cubs added Jeimer Candelario at the Trade Deadline, and all he has done is hit since he arrived.
Drew Smyly will take the mound on Monday night for the Cubs, and he has been struggling of late. The veteran is 8-7 with a 4.71 ERA on the year, but he has been skipped in the rotation of late as he tries to figure things out.
Offense Letting Mets Down
The New York Mets might have traded away their two best pitchers at the Trade Deadline, but it has been the offense that has disappeared since that point. New York has scored just eight total runs in their past five games, and that’s not good enough to get it done.
Pete Alonso is having a big year for this team, as he leads with 31 home runs and 77 RBIs. If teams just decide to pitch around Alonso, though, there is no guarantee that this team will find any offense.
Kodai Senga is on the mound for the Mets on Monday night, and he is usually going to give his team a chance to win. Senga has gone 7-6 with a 3.25 ERA so far this season, but he is facing a talented lineup in this one.
Senga Shines for Mets
There is no doubt that this Cubs team is good enough to get to the MLB Playoffs, but they still have some work to do. This offense has been on fire of late, but things are going to get a bit harder on the road.
Smyly has not been pitching his best for the Cubs, and the Mets will be sending Senga to the mound in this one. Look for Senga to have a dominant performance on Monday night, as he will slow the Cubs down in a big way.
Bet the New York Mets moneyline at -125 as they snap their long losing streak and put a stop to the Cubs’ impressive run.
