New York Mets vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, Preview and Odds - 05/23/2023

Game Time: 7:40 pm ET, Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Venue:  Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Where to Watch:  MARQ

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Mets -115, Cubs -105; Over/Under:  9 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Mets -115, Cubs -105; Over/Under:  9 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Mets -115, Cubs -105; Over/Under:  9 runs

New York Mets:  25-23 (2nd place, NL East)

Chicago Cubs:  20-26 (4th place, NL Central)

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New York Mets:  7-3 last 10

Chicago Cubs:  3-7 last 10

The Mets are entering this game on a 5 game winning streak after completing the sweep in a 3-game series over the Cleveland Guardians in their last series. They enter this game with a 25-23 record overall and have a road record of 13-14. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Cubs on Tuesday and they have Monday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 17th in the MLB with a .716 OPS. Justin Verlander was their starting pitcher on Sunday while rookie pitcher Kodai Senga is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA this season. His team won 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 ER, 0 HR, and 3 BB with 12 Ks on 3 hits through 6 IP against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Cubs are entering this game on a 2 game losing streak after losing their 3-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 20-26 record overall and have a home record of 11-11. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Mets on Tuesday and they have Monday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 8th in the MLB with a .765 OPS. Justin Steele was their starting pitcher on Sunday while Drew Smyly is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 4-1 with a 2.86 ERA this season. His team won 3 of their last 4 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 earned run, 1 homer, and 0 BB with 8 strikeouts on 4 hits through 6 innings played against the Houston Astros.

The current betting odds have the Cubs listed as a slight underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cubs haven't been great this season with their losing 20-26 record overall but they have been better at home as they don't have a losing record in their home games and their offense has also been really good as it ranks inside the top 10 in the MLB right now. The Mets have been good this season as they do have a winning record but they are also barely over .500 and are not having a start to the season anywhere near what they had last year. Their offense has also been an issue in their games since it has been very streaky and has caused them to be really up and down in their games as they can score a ton of runs in some games but struggle to score in others. The Cubs have had a much better and more consistent offense than the Mets this season and the Cubs have played their best in their own ballpark too. They have Smyly starting here and he has been really good in his last few starts too while Senga has been good for the Mets this year but has been slipping up in his starts lately and is still only in his rookie season. The Cubs will take advantage of this streaky Mets offense and will be able to steal this win at home with some good pitching from their starter. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game.

Mets Cubs Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Tuesday, May 23, 2023 (7:40 pm ET start time) is Cubs 5 Mets 2.

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New York Mets: 25-23 (-8.2 units) on the moneyline in all games. 7-12 (-10.5 units) on the moneyline against left-handed starters. 11-3 UNDER when the total is 9 to 9.5. 11-5 UNDER after a game where the bullpen gave up no earned runs.

Chicago Cubs: 55-54 (+9.4 units) on the moneyline after allowing 2 runs or less. 19-13 (+9.4 units) on the moneyline after a game with a combined score of 3 runs or less. 29-19 UNDER when playing with a day off. 28-14 UNDER at home when the total is 9 to 9.5.

New York Mets:  J. Quintana (SP) Mid July - Ribs. E. Uceta (RP) Early June - Ankle. J. Yacabonis (RP) Early June - Quadricep. T. Nido (C) Early June - Eye. T. Locastro (CF) Out indefinitely - Thumb. E. Hernandez (SP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. O. Narvaez (C) Mid June - Calf. S. Ridings (SP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. S. Coonrod (RP) Early June - Back. B. Montes de Oca (SP) out for season - Elbow. E. Diaz (RP) out for season - Knee.

Chicago Cubs:  K. Hendricks (SP) Early June - Shoulder. C. Bellinger (CF) Early June - Knee. A. Sampson (SP) Out indefinitely - Knee. B. Boxberger (RP) Out indefinitely - Forearm. C. Heuer (RP) Early June - Elbow. E. Roberts (RP) out for season - Elbow.

“He works hard, he’s got a track record and he’s healthy. What else would you do but trust that type of guy? It’s hard as we get older and sometimes the water takes a little longer to warm up. So I try to keep that in mind.” - Buck Showalter on Starling Marte after their double-header against the Guardians on Sunday.

“I don’t feel like we’re far off, but we have to be better.” - David Ross after his team’s loss against the Phillies in their game on Sunday.

Brandon Nimmo (L) CF

Francisco Lindor (S) SS

Jeff McNeil (L) 2B

Pete Alonso (R) 1B

Brett Baty (L) 3B

Mark Canha (R) RF

Mark Vientos (R) DH

Tommy Pham (R) LF

Francisco Alvarez (R) C

Nico Hoerner (R) 2B

Dansby Swanson (R) SS

Ian Happ (S) LF

Seiya Suzuki (R) RF

Mike Tauchman (L) CF

Christopher Morel (R) DH

Matt Mervis (L) 1B

Miles Mastrobuoni (L) 3B

Tucker Barnhart (L) C

Batting Average:  Michael Perez (.571)

Hits:  Brandon Nimmo (53)

Home Runs:  Pete Alonso (17)

RBI:  Pete Alonso (41)

Stolen Bases:  Starling Marte (12)

Wins:  Tylor Megill (5)

Saves:  David Robertson (8)

ERA:  Edwin Uceta (0.00)

Batting Average:  Christopher Morel (.370)

Hits:  Nico Hoerner (49)

Home Runs:  Patrick Wisdom (12)

RBI:  Patrick Wisdom (23)

Stolen Bases:  Nico Hoerner (12)

Wins:  Justin Steele (6)

Saves:  Brad Boxberger (2)

ERA:  Jeremiah Estrada (0.00)

Managers:

New York Mets: Buck Showalter (2nd season)

Chicago Cubs: David Ross (4th season)