by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Sep 18, 2021
Game time: 2:10 p.m. ET
Venue: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, Bally Sports Wisconsin
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Brewers -220, Cubs +180
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: NL
Season record (entering Saturday)
Cubs: 66-82 (4th place, NL Central)
Brewers: 90-57 (1st place, NL Central)
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Cubs - Brewers preview and analysis
Recent form (entering Saturday)
Cubs: lost 3 straight
Brewers: 7-3 in last 10
It took a little bit for the first-place Milwaukee Brewers to reach the 90-win club, but the way it happened Friday was worth it.
The Brewers scored four runs in the eighth inning to complete a rally against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, 8-5, bringing their magic number to clinching the National League Central to four and a playoff spot to two.
Lorenzo Cain drove in the tying run with a bloop single to right field, and then Kolten Wong drove in two more shortly after. That bailed out a semi-rough start from starter Adrian Houser (4 IP, 4 ER, 3 strikeouts) for the Brewers’ seventh win in 10 games.
“I think the division is the goal,” Wong said. “Obviously, clinching the playoffs is something you shoot for and that being two games away is huge for us, but we want to get that Central crown.”
The Brewers had a five-game winning streak end at the hands of a two-game sweep from the Detroit Tigers. All the while, the St. Louis Cardinals are making a push for the NL Wild Card over the Cincinnati Reds providing some intrigue for those with no chance of catching the Brewers.
“I wasn’t able to go out there and do my job the way I wanted to,” Houser said. “But they came through. It shows that everybody is there to pick you up. There’s never any let-up or give-up by this team. We’re in there until the last out.”
Meanwhile, the Cubs had a respectable stretch not too long ago but the fight to stay mildly competitive in the final few weeks is being a struggle. Chicago led 4-0 before everything came off the rails Friday, getting two hits from Rafael Ortega, Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel.
Zach Davies had a strong start through four innings, but couldn’t get past the fifth after allowing four earned runs and three walks over the next 1.1 innings.
Prediction
The Cubs can play this team tough in many different ways, but with a division title in reach, every win in that ballpark would be great for the fans. The Brewers are playing a ton at the park normally known as Miller Park for the next week and a half. If there’s a chance to clinch on Sunday, it’ll be noteworthy. Brewers win 7-5
Betting trends
The Cubs are 28-57 (-15 net games on the moneyline) when an underdog this season.
The Brewers are 78-20 in their last 98 when a favorite of -200 or more.
Key injuries
Cubs: OF Jason Heyward (concussion)
Brewers: RF Avisail Garcia (back, questionable), SS Willy Adames (quad, 10-day IL)
Players to watch
Cubs: Frank Schwindel has come out of nowhere to be the Cubs’ best hitter the last month. He’s hitting .353 in a 30-day span with nine home runs and 21 RBI. The 29-year-old may be a late bloomer, but he’s going to get serious consideration for next season’s roster.
Brewers: Kolten Wong is hit-or-miss with Milwaukee as of late. He’s registered a hit in four of his last eight games, but those games have been multi-hit contests.
Projected lineup
Cubs:
Rafael Ortega (L) CF
Frank Schwindel (R) 1B
Ian Happ (S) LF
Willson Contreras (R) C
Patrick Wisdom (R) 3B
Alfonso Rivas (L) RF
Matt Duffy (R) 2B
Sergio Alcantara (S) SS
Adrian Sampson (R) P
Brewers:
Kolten Wong (L) 2B
Eduardo Escobar (S) 3B
Christian Yelich (L) LF
Omar Narvaez (L) C
Luis Urias (R) SS
Jace Peterson (L) RF
Daniel Vogelbach (L) 1B
Lorenzo Cain (R) CF
Eric Lauer (L) P
Statistical leaders
Cubs:
Batting average: Ian Happ (.219)
Hits: Ian Happ (92)
Home runs: Patrick Wisdom (26)
RBI: Ian Happ (55)
Stolen bases: Rafael Ortega (8)
Wins: Kyle Hendricks (14)
Saves: Rowan Wick (4)
ERA: Kyle Hendricks (4.81)
Brewers:
Batting average: Avisail Garcia (.269)
Hits: Avisail Garcia (116)
Home runs: Avisail Garcia (27)
RBI: Avisail Garcia (82)
Stolen bases: Lorenzo Cain (12)
Wins: Corbin Burnes (10)
Saves: Josh Hader (32)
ERA: Corbin Burnes (2.25)
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
