The Phillies head into Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Cubs looking to pick up their 94th win, as they are 93-65 overall. They are the heavy money line favorite at -192, while the Cubs are +160 on the money line. The over/under line is currently 8 runs.
First pitch from Citizen Bank Park is set for 6:05 PM ET, and MARQ will be televising this NL matchup. Javier Assad is starting for the Cubs, and he will be facing off against Cristopher Sanchez. The Phillies are in the NL East, while the Cubs are 2nd in the NL Central.
Can Javier Assad Propel Them Past the Phillies?
Chicago Cubs games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 74-78. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, the Cubs are 13-19-2. Overall, 48.7% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8 runs or higher, with 29.7% of their games having lines set below 8 runs. The Cubs are 22-25-3 in series this season and are currently tied in their series vs. the Phillies.
Chicago is 21-28 against other teams in the NL Central this season and are 2nd in the division, trailing the Brewers by 9.5 games. The Cubs are 42-36 at home and 39-41 on the road. They are 43-38 as the favorite and 24-29 as the underdog on the road. Javier Assad is starting for the Cubs today, and he is 7-5 with a 3.34 ERA this season. Assad has six quality starts and is averaging 7.63 strikeouts per nine innings. His ERA is 4.43 on the road compared to 2.58 at home. The Cubs offense is 12th in scoring at 4.6 runs per game, and they are 4th in scoring on the road at 5.1 runs per game.
Phillies Aim to Rebound Against Cubs as Sánchez Shines at Home
With an overall record of 93-65, the Phillies lead the Mets by 5.5 games for the NL East lead. The Phillies are 28-21 against other teams in the NL East. This season, they have been really good at home, going 53-27, and they are just above .500 at 40-38 on the road. Through 30 starts, Cristopher Sánchez has a record of 11-9 and an ERA of 3.25. This year, he has pitched much better at home, coming in with a record of 7-3 and an ERA of 2.23. Sánchez has made 17 quality starts, two complete games, and one shutout. His most recent outing came vs. the Mets, where he picked up the win, going five innings and giving up two earned runs. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without giving up an earned run. Sánchez has been solid down the stretch, giving up two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six starts.
The Philadelphia Phillies are hosting the Chicago Cubs in a game with an over/under line of 8 runs. The Phillies have averaged 8.9 runs per game in their contests this season, and their over/under record is 74-75. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, their record is 19-18-3. Overall, 46.2% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 8 runs, while 28.5% have had lines set lower than 8 runs. Philadelphia has gone 80-47 as the favorite this season and 52-24 when favored at home. As for their overall series record, the Phillies are 27-18-7, but they have dropped two straight series. Heading into today’s game vs. the Cubs, the Phillies are just 4-6 over their last 10 games.
Bet the Over for Maximum Value
Our predicted final score for this one is a 6-5 win for the Phillies, and with the money line sitting at -192, there is some value in taking the Phillies to win straight up. However, we see even more value in taking the over, as the line is currently sitting at 8 runs, and we have this one finishing with a combined 11 runs.
If you’re looking for a potential home run prop, the Phillies are projected to hit the third most home runs today, while the Cubs are down in 17th. Looking at the starting pitchers, Christopher Sanchez is predicted to finish with six strikeouts, compared to Javier Assad, who we have finishing with five.
