by Amedeus Mastrangelo
Saturday, Sep 11, 2021
Game Time: 2:20 pm ET, Sunday, September 12, 2021
Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Where to Watch: Marquee Sports
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Giants -220, Cubs +180; Over/Under: NL runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Giants -225, Cubs +185; Over/Under: 10 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Giants -220, Cubs +180; Over/Under: NL runs
Season Record
San Francisco Giants: 91-50 (1st place, NL West)
Chicago Cubs: 65-77 (4th place, NL Central)
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San Francisco Giants vs Chicago Cubs Preview and Analysis
Recent Form
San Francisco Giants: 7-3 last 10
Chicago Cubs: 8-2 last 10
Offensive Analysis
The San Francisco Giants are ranked 9 in the league for batting average (.246), 9 in the league for RBI (654), 8 in the league for hits (1169), and they are ranked 8 in the league for OBP (.325). The Chicago Cubs are ranked 28 in the league for batting average (.231), 21 in the league for RBI (577), 29 in the league for hits (1073), and they are ranked 24 in the league for OBP (.305).
Defensive Analysis
The San Francisco Giants are ranked 2 in the league for ERA (3.26), 1 in the league for saves (49), 15 in the league for strikeouts (1233), and they are ranked 2 in the league for WHIP (1.13). The Chicago Cubs are ranked 23 in the league for ERA (4.66), 14 in the league for saves (36), 17 in the league for strikeouts (1207), and they are ranked 22 in the league for WHIP (1.37).
Giants vs Cubs Prediction
The San Francisco Giants are taking on the Chicago Cubs in this series finale on Sunday. The Giants took the series opener on Friday night with the 2nd game of this three-game series still to be played on Saturday with the result pending. The Giants are now on a 5 game win streak after Friday's win. The Cubs lost this series opener after winning their three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds right before.
The Giants are coming into this game on Sunday after winning 6-1 against the Cubs on Friday and sweeping the Colorado Rockies in a two-game series right before. They will have Logan Webb as the starting pitcher on the mound in this Sunday game and he is 9-2 with a 2.64 ERA this season. The Giants have had major success with Webb pitching as they have won their last 6 games straight and 14 of their last 15 when he has been the starter. In his last start, he allowed 3 ER and 0 BB with 6 Ks on 9 hits through 7 IP. He has not faced the Cubs lineup yet this season but it should not be a problem for him as the Giants have been owning the MLB this season. The Giants' offense have put up 41 runs on their 5 game winning streak averaging a little over 8 runs scored per game. Webb will have plenty of run support in this game if he does not play well but he has been a solid starter all year for them.
The Cubs lost 2 of their last 3 games now with Saturday's result pending coming into this Sunday game. Rookie pitcher Justin Steele will be throwing the first pitch for them in this one and he is 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA this season. After the team lost 3 straight with him starting, they have now won the last 2 games that he played in. In his last start, he allowed 3 ER and 2 BB with 4 Ks on 4 hits through 5 innings of work. He also hit 2 batters in that game, not displaying the best accuracy. He has not faced the Giants lineup this season or ever and will be in for a surprise as he goes up against the best team in baseball right now. His team has only scored 8 runs in their last 3 games averaging a little under 3 runs scored per game in that span. If he gets himself into trouble the Cubs will likely not be able to pull off a comeback here.
The Giants are the much better team here with both their batter and their pitching. They are trying to fend off the Dodgers who are coming for the division lead they are currently holding down as the regular season winds down. They are going up against a rookie pitcher and there might be some value on the under as this lineup has never seen what pitches he is going to throw at them. That being said, the Giants have been crushing the ball recently so this could easily go over as well. The safest bet to make here is the Giants to come out as the winners as they continue to roll trying to get into postseason form. The MLB odds may be a bit juiced but the run line would also be a good way to go.
Giants Cubs Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Sunday, September 12, 2021 (2:20 pm ET start time) is Giants 6 Cubs 2.
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MLB Betting Trends
San Francisco Giants: 91-50 (+36.8 units) on the money line in all games. 36-15 (+22.1 units) on the money line in day games.
Chicago Cubs: 27-52 (-11.8 units) on the money line as an underdog of +100 or higher. 11-25 (-8.6 units) on the money line as an underdog of +125 to +175.
Key Injuries
San Francisco Giants: D. Solano (2B) Ques Sat - Illness. A. Dickerson (LF) Out indefinitely - Leg injury. J. Quintana (RP) Out indefinitely - Personal.
Chicago Cubs: A. Morgan (RP) Out indefinitely - Personal. M. Hermosillo (CF) out for season - Forearm injury. K. Thompson (RP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder injury.
Players to Watch
San Francisco Giants: Kris Bryant is one player to watch in these matchups as he is returning to Wrigley for the first time since getting traded. He leads his team in homers and can make a big difference in games when he is on so watch for him to put on a show in front of his old team.
Chicago Cubs: Ian Happ is one player to watch on these squads as he leads his team in hits this season. The Cubs have a tough challenge ahead of them here so they will need Happ to get some hits and get on base if they expect to win in this game.
Notable Quotes
"I don't know if I can get more confident than I am right now. I just named myself captain." - Brandon Belt on his confidence in games right now.
"It was good to see him back to being the way he normally is. It was good to see him be him." - Andy Green on Kyle Hendricks’ performance on Friday.
Starting Lineups
San Francisco Giants
T. La Stella (2B)
B. Belt (1B)
B. Posey (C)
L. Wade Jr. (RF)
K. Bryant (LF)
B. Crawford (SS)
E. Longoria (3B)
M. Yastrzemski (CF)
D. Leone (P)
Chicago Cubs
R. Ortega (CF)
F. Schwindel (1B)
I. Happ (LF)
W. Contreras (C)
P. Wisdom (3B)
J. Heyward (RF)
D. Bote (2B)
S. Alcantara (SS)
K. Hendricks (P)
Statistical Leaders
San Francisco Giants
Batting Average: B. Posey (.300)
Hits: B. Crawford (122)
Home Runs: K. Bryant (24)
RBI: B. Crawford (80)
Stolen Bases: A. Slater (13)
Wins: K. Gausman (13)
Saves: J. McGee (30)
ERA: C. Baragar (1.35)
Chicago Cubs
Batting Average: F. Schwindel (.333)
Hits: I. Happ (87)
Home Runs: P. Wisdom (25)
RBI: P. Wisdom (50)
Stolen Bases: R. Ortega (8)
Wins: K. Hendricks (14)
Saves: R. Wick (3)
ERA: B. Wieck (0.00)
Managers:
San Francisco Giants: Gabe Kapler (2nd season)
Chicago Cubs: David Ross (2nd season)
Weather Forecast
83 degrees F partly cloudy, 65% humidity, 0% chance of rain, up to 11 mph wind speeds E.
Amedeus Mastrangelo
About the Author:
Amedeus Mastrangelo has been heavily wagering on all sports for years and plays just about everything, including sides, totals, favorites, underdogs, against the spread, alternative spreads, first half, second half, player props, and futures. The bottom line is, if Mastrangelo can see an edge in any way shape or form, then he's going to take advantage.
