Philadelphia Phillies vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, Preview and Odds - 07/02/2024

Game Time: 8:05 pm ET, Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Venue:  Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL 

Where to Watch:  MARQ

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Phillies +110, Cubs -130; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Phillies +110, Cubs -130; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Phillies +110, Cubs -130; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

Philadelphia Phillies:  55-29 (1st place, NL East)

Chicago Cubs:  39-46 (5th place, NL Central)

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Philadelphia Phillies:  6-4 last 10

Chicago Cubs:  3-7 last 10

The Phillies are entering this series off a win and split their 4-game series against the Miami Marlins 2-2 in their last series. They enter this game with a 55-29 record overall and have a road record of 22-15. 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 4th in the MLB with a .754 OPS. Ranger Suárez was their starting pitcher on Sunday while rookie pitcher Michael Mercado is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA this season. His team won their only game this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 0 ER, 0 HR, and 0 BB with 1 K on 0 hits through 1 IP against the Detroit Tigers.

The Cubs are entering this series off a loss and lost their 3-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 39-46 record overall and have a home record of 22-18. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Phillies on Tuesday and they have Monday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 22nd in the MLB with a .679 OPS. Kyle Hendricks was their starting pitcher on Sunday while Hayden Wesneski is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 2-4 with a 3.60 ERA this season. His team lost their last 5 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 3 earned runs, 2 homers, and 1 BB with 7 strikeouts on 2 hits through 4 innings played against the San Francisco Giants.

The current betting odds have the Phillies listed as a slight underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Phillies have looked great in their games this season with their 55-29 record overall which has them leading the NL East with one of the best records in the entire MLB. They have also looked great in their road games with their 22-15 road record. Meanwhile, the Cubs haven't looked good in their games this season with their 39-46 record overall which has them at the bottom of the NL Central. They have looked better at home with their 22-18 home record, but they have been terrible over the last few weeks, even going 3-7 in their last 10 games. The Phillies are going to have their rookie Mercado on the mound in this game and he was good in his only MLB start. He is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA since he gave up no runs against the Tigers, but he did only pitch 1 inning in that game. The Phillies do have a solid bullpen to back him up though, and they also have one of the best offenses in the MLB to offer plenty of run support here. Wesneski is on the mound for the Cubs and he is 2-4 with a 3.60 ERA. He hasn't been great in his starts this season, and he just gave up 3 earned runs in his last start which he only pitched 4 innings in. The team hasn't had a lot of success with him lately either, losing their last 5 games with him starting, and they are in the middle of a slump right now too. The best way to place a bet here is on the Phillies to win this game. 

Phillies Cubs Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Tuesday, July 2, 2024 (8:05 pm ET start time) is Phillies 6 Cubs 2.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 47-21 (+14.45 units) on the moneyline in their last 68 games. 47-22 (+23.55 units) on the first 5 moneyline in their last 69 games. 53-27 (+20.55 units) on the first 5 runline in their last 80 games. 

Chicago Cubs: 19-37 (-26.50 units) on the runline in their last 56 games. 13-35 (-20.30 units) on the first 5 moneyline in their last 48 games. 42-31 to the under in their last 73 games. 

Philadelphia Phillies:  T. Walker (SP) - Index Finger. J. Realmuto (C) - Knee. K. Clemens (2B) - Back. M. Rucker (RP) - Hand. D. Covey (RP) - Shoulder. L. Ortiz (RP) - Ankle.

Chicago Cubs:  M. Leiter (RP) - Forearm. M. Tauchman (RF) - Groin. J. Wicks (SP) - Oblique. B. Brown (SP) - Neck. A. Alzolay (RP) - Forearm. Y. Almonte (RP) - Shoulder. D. Palencia (RP) - Shoulder. J. Merryweather (RP) - Shoulder. C. Kilian (SP) - Shoulder.

“This was a big one. We all needed it. I know they fight, I know they're resilient, I know they never quit.” - Rob Thomson after his team’s win against the Marlins in their game on Sunday.

“I kind of had a good bead on it, and it turned and moved a long way, kind of towards left-center there on its way down. I probably wasn’t in a great spot. I kind of thought it was going to be more up against the wall over there, and it got turned around. Obviously not my best moment out there and it puts Kyle in a tough spot.” - Ian Happ after their loss against the Brewers in their game on Sunday.

B Stott (L) 2B

T Turner (R) SS

A Bohm (R) 3B

B Marsh (L) CF

N Castellanos (R) RF

K Clemens (L) 1B

W Merrifield (R) LF

D Dahl (L) DH

R Marchán (S) C

N Hoerner (R) 2B

M Busch (L) 1B

C Bellinger (L) DH

S Suzuki (R) RF

I Happ (S) LF

C Morel (R) 3B

D Swanson (R) SS

P Crow-Armstrong (L) CF

M Amaya (R) C

Batting Average:  Trea Turner (.332)

Hits:  Alec Bohm (95)

Home Runs:  Bryce Harper (20)

RBI:  Alec Bohm (68)

Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott (20)

Wins:  Ranger Suárez (10)

Saves:  José Alvarado (12)

ERA:  Michael Mercado (0.00)

Batting Average:  David Bote (.304)

Hits:  Cody Bellinger (75)

Home Runs:  Christopher Morel (15)

RBI:  Christopher Morel (45)

Stolen Bases:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (15)

Wins:  Shota Imanaga (7)

Saves:  Héctor Neris (11)

ERA:  Jorge López (0.00)

Managers:

Philadelphia Phillies: Rob Thomson (3rd season)

Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell (1st season)