Chicago Cubs (55-53) vs New York Mets (50-58)
Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets 8/7/2023 – The Cubs are currently in third place in the NL Central Division and have been playing excellent baseball recently. Free daily MLB picks indicate that the Mets, currently in fourth place in the NL East, dropped out of contention after selling away their top two pitchers before the deadline. After the all-star break, the Chicago Cubs appeared to be sellers at the trade deadline because they were several matches out of the NL Central Division race.
With less than two months left in the season, the club found its rhythm and is now very close to
winning the division. The weekend saw the Cubs take on the NL’s top team, the Atlanta Braves, in Chicago, giving them an early taste of the playoffs. After dropping game one of the series 8-0 on Friday and game two of the series 8-6 on Saturday, the Cubs split the opening two contests. The Cubs won the series on Sunday following a 6-4 victory. For the victory, the Cubs’ five pitchers held the Braves’ offense in check.
Relief pitchers for the Cubs entered games 84 times with runners on base and made 78 outings in high-leverage situations. The relief relievers are now 23rd in the league with 49 holds. The Cubs’ bullpen entered the game with 77 save opportunities and earned a save percentage of 66.7%. They made 18 saves so far this season, but they also missed 9 of their 27 chances to make saves. The 139 base runners that the bullpen relievers inherited this season resulted in runs for their side in 28.1% of the cases. 329 relievers took the mound for the Cubs this season.
At the trade deadline, the New York Mets parted ways with a number of regulars, and based on their recent performance, it appears that next season can’t arrive soon enough. Prior to Sunday’s series finale in Baltimore against the Orioles, the Mets dropped five straight games and six of their previous seven contests. The Mets suffered their sixth straight loss on Sunday in a 2-0 shutout. Only four hits were allowed for New York, as Jose Quintana wasted another strong start. Quintana pitched six innings, giving up six hits, two runs, and six strikeouts.
In 39 save opportunities, New York used bullpen relievers to enter the game, and they recorded 25 saves. They sent 349 bullpen pitchers to the mound this season and are placed 15th in baseball with a save percentage of 64.1%. Their relievers entered the game 102 times with runners on base and 105 times in high-leverage situations. Of the 152 inherited base runners, New York bullpen pitchers had an inherited score percentage of 29.6%. The Mets currently have 105 save opportunities and accumulated 63 holds and 14 missed saves.
Cubs vs. Mets Game Info
| When: | Monday, August 7, 2023 7:10 PM ET |
|---|---|
| Where: | Citi Field in Flashing, NY |
| TV: | MLB Network |
| Stream: | MLB.TV |
Drew Smyly (8–7, 4.71 ERA) vs Kodai Senga (7–6, 3.25 ERA)
On Monday night, the Cubs will pass the ball to left-hander Drew Smyly. Smyly has a record of 8-7 this season in 22 games, including 20 starts. With an ERA of 4.71, he tossed 112.2 innings while giving up 115 hits. Smyly has an 8.3 K/9 rate and a 1.35 WHIP. Smyly had recent difficulty, going 1-2 in his previous five starts with an ERA of 7.54. He was also recently plagued by the big ball, allowing eight home runs in the last five matches.
The Mets will use Kodai Senga, their best remaining starter. In his debut year in MLB, Senga made 20 starts and has a 7-6 record, including eight quality starts. In 110.2 innings pitched, he gave up 88 hits, good for a 3.25 ERA. Senga has an 11.1 K/9 rate and a 1.29 WHIP. Senga has a 2.48 ERA in his previous five outings and a 1-1 record. In 29 innings pitched, he gave up 24 hits while walking nine and striking out 35 batters.
MLB Odds/Point Spread: New York Mets -120
Total Odds: 8.5
Chicago Cubs Betting Trends
The Chicago Cubs are 4-1 in their last 5 matches.
The Chicago Cubs are 4-1 in their last 5 matches against the spread.
Chicago Cubs are 27-25 in their road matches against the spread.
The totals went OVER in 3 of the Cubs’ last 5 matches.
The totals went OVER in 33 of the Cubs’ 59 last matches at home.
New York Mets Betting Trends
The NY Mets are 0-5 in their last 5 matches.
The NY Mets are 0-5 in their last 5 matches against the spread.
NY Mets are 21-39 in their road matches against the spread.
The totals went OVER in 4 of the Mets’ last 5 matches.
The totals went OVER in 15 of the Mets’ 49 last matches at home.
Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets 8/7/2023 Betting Picks
Senga, a Mets starter, excelled at home this season, pitching in 10 starts with an ERA under two and a half. Guaranteed sports picks suggest that Senga, who has a strikeout rate of over 11 at home this season, will not have a good time against the Cubs, who are only ranked 22nd in strikeouts per game. Smyly, a starter with the Cubs, had recent difficulty; in his last five outings, his ERA was above seven and a half. Since the trade deadline, the Mets struggled, but they can now count on their new ace to turn things around in this home game against a hot Cubs squad. On Monday night, expect the Mets to win by a slim margin.
Free Pick and Prediction: New York Mets will win 7-3.