The Chicago Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers on May 20, 2026. First pitch from Wrigley Field is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on BREW.
The Cubs are favored by -120 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Brewers are +100 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 6.5 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Brewers vs Cubs prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Brewers vs Cubs Prediction
- Brewers vs Cubs Pick: F5 Under 3.5 (-125)
My Brewers vs Cubs best bet is Under 3.5 total runs in the first five innings. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Brewers vs Cubs Odds
| Brewers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -220 | 6.5 -115o / -105u | +100 |
| Cubs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +180 | 6.5 -115o / -105u | -120 |
- Brewers vs Cubs moneyline: Brewers +100, Cubs -120
- Brewers vs Cubs over/under: 6.5 (-115o / -105u)
- Brewers vs Cubs spread: Brewers +1.5 (-220), Cubs -1.5 (+180)
Brewers vs Cubs Probable Pitchers
| LHP Kyle Harrison (MIL) | Stat | RHP Edward Cabrera (CHC) |
|---|---|---|
| 4-1 | W-L | 3-1 |
| 1.1 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.4 |
| 2.09 / 3.32 | ERA / xERA | 4.06 / 4.38 |
| 2.88 / 3.11 | FIP / xFIP | 4.51 / 3.88 |
| 21.9 | K-BB% | 12.8 |
| 35.5 | GB% | 42.4 |
| .323 | BABIP | .295 |
| 105 | Stuff+ | 94 |
| 114 | Location+ | 105 |
Brewers vs Cubs MLB Betting Preview
Milwaukee Brewers Betting Preview
Kyle Harrison has quietly been dealing this season. Casual fans probably still think of him as a young arm with upside, but the Brewers starter has legitimately taken a leap in 2026.
He enters this game with a 2.09 ERA, and the underlying numbers back it up with a sub-3 FIP. His fastball has been exploding at the top of the zone, and hitters are not squaring it up.
The Cubs lineup also has a ton of swing and miss against left-handed pitching, which sets up perfectly for Harrison’s profile.
That’s really the key here. The Cubs have power, but they can also disappear for stretches against lefties who can miss bats. Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, and a few other guys in this lineup can get themselves into ugly counts quickly, especially against pitchers who work north-south as Harrison does.
Chicago has also been pressing a bit offensively lately. Last night was another reminder that this Milwaukee pitching staff can absolutely slow this offense down.
Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
Edward Cabrera has turned into one of the nastiest pure stuff guys in baseball this season. The command can still get shaky at times, but when he’s located even halfway decent, hitters look completely overmatched.
According to Baseball Savant, the Cubs SP is still living near the top of the league in whiff rate, chase rate and average fastball velocity. His slider has been a straight wipeout pitch in 2026, and hitters just are not barreling him up consistently. That matters against this Brewers lineup because Milwaukee can get pretty swing-happy against hard throwers.
The Brewers offense has had stretches where they’ve looked solid, but this still is not a lineup that scares me from a power standpoint. They’re near the bottom third of baseball in homers and isolated power, and a lot of their success comes from putting pressure on defenses, stealing bags and grinding out at-bats.
That style can win games, but it is not ideal against a guy like Cabrera early, because one mistake usually isn't enough to cash an over. You need multiple hitters piecing together quality at-bats, and Cabrera’s stuff makes that really tough the first time through the order.
Honestly, this feels like one of those games where Cabrera racks up strikeouts early and settles into a groove. Milwaukee also has several lefties in the lineup who can get tied up badly against velocity at the top of the zone.
If Cabrera is getting ahead in counts tonight, this could be a rough first few innings for the Brewers offense.
Brewers vs Cubs Pick, Betting Analysis
This is one of those spots where the number looks terrifyingly low at first glance, but honestly, I still think the F5 under is the right side tonight. Sometimes the books hang a tiny number for a reason, and this matchup screams early pitching duel if you really dig into the metrics.
I was not afraid to take an under last week in the Padres vs. Brewers, and I have a similar feeling in tonight’s ballgame. I am very high on both of these starting pitchers.
I think the market still has not fully caught up to how legit both of these arms are right now. Cabrera’s stuff is ace-level when he’s throwing strikes, and Harrison looks like he’s becoming one of the better young lefties in the league.
Yeah, the number is uncomfortable. Nobody likes sweating a tiny F5 total. But this feels way more like a 2-0 or 2-1 game through five than a random summer slugfest at Wrigley.
Pick: F5 Under 3.5 (-125, BetMGM)
