The Chicago Cubs host the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, July 18. First pitch from Wrigley Field is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Marquee Sports Network and Twins TV.
The Cubs are -142 favorites on the moneyline and -1.5 on the run line (+146). The Twins are +120 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line (-178). The total is set at 9 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Twins vs Cubs prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Twins vs Cubs Prediction
- Twins vs Cubs Pick: Twins moneyline (+133 | Play to +125)
My Twins vs Cubs best bet is Twins moneyline. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Twins vs Cubs Odds
| Twins Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -178 | 9 -114o / -106u | +120 |
| Cubs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +146 | 9 -114o / -106u | -142 |
- Twins vs Cubs moneyline: Twins +120, Cubs -142
- Twins vs Cubs over/under: 9 (-114o / -106u)
- Twins vs Cubs spread: Twins +1.5 (-178), Cubs -1.5 (+146)
Twins vs Cubs Probable Pitchers
| RHP Taj Bradley (MIN) | Stat | LHP Matthew Boyd (CHC) |
|---|---|---|
| 9-3 | W-L | 5-1 |
| 1.6 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 1.0 |
| 3.59 / 3.82 | ERA / xERA | 4.50 / 4.92 |
| 3.93 / 3.84 | FIP / xFIP | 3.58 / 3.73 |
| 18.1% | K-BB% | 17.3% |
| 34.2% | GB% | 42.4% |
| .273 | BABIP | .323 |
| 109 | Stuff+ | 96 |
| 91 | Location+ | 108 |
Twins vs Cubs MLB Betting Preview
Minnesota Twins Betting Preview
Taj Bradley takes the mound for the Twins — he serves as a good candidate to back in this spot. Entering this game in tremendous form, Bradley has surrendered two or fewer runs in each of his past five starts.
The right-hander is 4-0 over that stretch with a 2.32 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. His underlying metrics suggest that this success is likely to continue.
This season, Bradley ranks in the top half of the league in xERA, xBA and strikeout rate. Furthermore, he has been flawless in his career against the Cubs.
In two meetings, Bradley has not surrendered an earned run while racking up 19 strikeouts over nearly 13 innings of work.
Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
From the other perspective, this current Cubs roster owns a mere .190 xBA and .316 xSLG in 39 combined plate appearances against Bradley.
Meanwhile, Chicago hands the ball to left-hander Matthew Boyd, who is coming off a shaky outing against the Reds, a game in which he surrendered four runs on six hits.
On the season, Boyd owns a 4.50 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Analytically, the southpaw is even worse.
Entering this matchup, Boyd possesses a 4.90 xERA and .268 xBA. He also ranks in the bottom fifth of the league in average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit rate.
Twins vs Cubs Pick, Betting Analysis
Boyd has also historically struggled against Minnesota. Over the past 18 meetings, he carries a 5.16 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.
The clear pitching advantage in this matchup goes to Bradley and the Twins, as he outranks Boyd in nearly every statistical and analytical category across the board. That just leaves the hitting, which is a wash.
This season, both teams rank in the top 10 in runs scored per game, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. It's also worth noting that Minnesota outranks Chicago in hits per game, batting average and slugging percentage.
Pick: Twins moneyline (+133 | Play to +125)
