Jul 25, 7:23am | 4 min read

Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers Predictions: MLB Over/Under Picks

MLB

Matt Zylbert

Share to Facebook

Share to Twitter

Copy Link

Matt started the season off with a win yesterday and looks to build on that momentum as the Brewers take on the Cubs

ANALYSIS

Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs

Over/Under: 10

First pitch: 1:05 p.m. ET

Probable pitchers: Corbin Burnes (0-0, -.-- ERA) vs. Yu Darvish (0-0, -.-- ERA)

Mllwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs Latest Odds

Chicago Cubs -150 Best Odds: Bet365 - Bet Now

Milwaukee Brewers +135 Best Odds: Resorts - Bet Now

Mllwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs Predictions

Four teams were kept off the scoreboard yesterday in their first action of the year. One of those was the Brewers, who were just completely stifled and fell victim to a three-hit shutout courtesy of Kyle Hendricks.

That can’t be a good omen heading into their next contest, as Milwaukee now has to contend with a far-contrasting starter less than 24 hours later — and one that happens to be among the best out there.

After flailing and failing opposite a guy who can only reach the high-80’s on the radar gun, the Brewers will square off with someone that can throw nearly 10 mph harder. Darvish not only hovers in the mid-to-high 90’s consistently, he also possesses a curveball that is just as lethal — if not more — than what Milwaukee saw last night out of Hendricks.

Overall, I’m also confident in Darvish having a strong season. He finally returned to his normal, consistent form last year after the All-Star break, when he was as dominant as anyone in baseball. During this 13-start run, the former Texas Ranger strung together an otherworldly 118-7 K/BB ratio across 81 innings while also registering a dominant 0.81 WHIP.

If Darvish can keep those Brewer bats at bay like I anticipate, that means we’ll have some room for error regarding the other probable. But, maybe that won’t even be necessary considering the progress Burnes has exhibited in the recent past.

The third-year right-hander took a major step backward last season, surrendering an alarming 17 homers in just 49 innings at the big league level. However, this is an improved version of Burnes, who by all accounts put in a ton of work — including with a mental skills coach — and I believe that will assist him in getting back to where he was in his impressive 2018.

Burnes yielded positive results during summer camp, such as his 12-up, 12-down outing in an intrasquad game last week that also saw him record seven punch-outs. Of note, he also came armed with a 98-mph fastball. For his final tuneup on Monday, Burnes needed only 65 pitches to rack up 15 outs. Thus, I think he can keep the momentum going and convert that into a fine campaign. That includes helping his first start stay under.