Teams off to vastly different starts to their seasons clash in the first of a four-game series when the Miami Marlins battle the Chicago Cubs on Friday. The teams were initially scheduled to start the series on Thursday, but that game was postponed due to inclement weather and will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday. After qualifying for the postseason in 2023, the Marlins (4-15) have struggled mightily and opened the season 0-9. The Cubs (11-7), meanwhile, have won four of five and are just one-half game behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central Division. Lefty A.J. Puk will start for Miami, while Jameson Taillon is on the hill fro Miami.
First pitch from Wrigley Field in Chicago is set for 2:20 p.m. ET. The Cubs lead the all-time series 118-115, including a 64-57 edge in games played at Wrigley Field. Chicago is a -172 favorite on the money line (risk $172 to win $100) in the latest Marlins vs. Cubs odds from SportsLine consensus, while the total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 9.5. Before making any Cubs vs. Marlins picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It enters Week 4 of the 2024 MLB season on a profitable 104-82 run on top-rated MLB picks dating back to last season, and it has excelled on top-rated run-line picks during that span, going 18-6 (+766). Anybody following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cubs vs. Marlins and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are severalMLB oddsand betting lines for Marlins vs. Cubs:
- Cubs vs. Marlins money line: Miami +143, Chicago -172
- Cubs vs. Marlins over/under: 9.5 runs
- Cubs vs. Marlins run line: Chicago -1.5 (+113)
- MIA: The Marlins have hit the money line in 18 of their last 31 games (+5.65 units)
- CHC: The Cubs have hit the game total under in 21 of their last 32 games (+8.75 units)
- Cubs vs. Marlins picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Cubs
First baseman Michael Busch is off to a solid start to the season. In 18 games, the second-year player is hitting .317 with three doubles, six homers and 13 RBI. He has been scorching the baseball over the past six games, including four with multiple hits. In Wednesday's 5-3 win at Arizona, he was 2-for-4 with an RBI. He homered in five consecutive games from April 10 to Monday.
Left fielder Ian Happ has been one of Chicago's top run producers this season. In 18 games, Happ is hitting .247 with four doubles, one triple, one homer and 12 RBI. He has also scored 14 times. In Tuesday's 12-11 loss at Arizona, he was 3-for-5 with a double, homer and four RBI. He has had four multiple-hit games as well as four multiple-RBI contests. In 30 career games against the Marlins, he is hitting .255 with five doubles, six homers and 17 RBI. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back the Marlins
Left fielder Bryan De La Cruz has been on fire at the plate, and enters play on Friday with a six-game hitting streak. In that stretch, he has three multi-hit games, two homers and nine RBI. In Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants, he was 2-for-4 with a solo home run. The fourth-year player has faced the Cubs in 13 games, batting .296 with a double, two home runs and nine RBI.
Also powering Miami is second baseman Luis Arraez. In his sixth year at the MLB level and second with the Marlins, he had a six-game hitting streak snapped on Wednesday. He was 3-for-4 with a run scored in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Giants. He was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI in a 6-3 win over San Francisco on Tuesday. In 19 games in 2024, he is hitting .276 with three doubles, three RBI and 13 RBI.See which team to pick here.
How to make Marlins vs. Cubs picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 10.5 combined runs. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the model's MLB picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Cubs vs. Marlins, and which side of the money line should you back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that's 104-82 on top-rated MLB picks, and find out.
