San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs: Prediction & Best Bets

San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs are set for a National League matchup at Wrigley Field on Sunday night.

These teams have split the first two games of the series, with San Francisco winning by a score of 18-3 on Friday and Chicago winning 3-2 in extra innings yesterday. Those contests have set the stage for a series-deciding rubber match on Sunday Night Baseball with first pitch set for 8:30 p.m. ET.

San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs betting picks and predictions

Chicago Cubs ML (-125)

The Cubs have been an extremely volatile team so far this season, but they have been a consistent winner when playing at home. The Cubs own a record of 20-14 at Wrigley Field, and they have to like their chances in this matchup against Trevor McDonald and the Giants.

McDonald is still learning his way around a big league mound, as this will be just his ninth career MLB start and his 11th overall appearance.

Chicago’s offensive numbers aren’t other-worldly, but they have a lineup full of experienced veteran hitters who should be able to give McDonald some trouble.

Jameson Taillon will toe the rubber for the home team. He will face a San Francisco lineup that has struggled to score runs on a consistent basis through the first two-plus months of the season. Specifically, the Giants rank 21st in baseball in total runs so far this season, and they’ve been very boom-or-bust on their current road trip.

The Giants have been held to three runs or fewer in five of their last eight games, although they have also posted run totals of 18, 12, and 19 on this trip. That inconsistency makes them tough to trust.

This will be San Francisco’s 10th straight road game, while Chicago has enjoyed a six-game homestand up to this point.

The Giants haven’t been great on the road this season, as they are a measly 14-23 away from Oracle Park. Playing at home, look for the Cubs to find the win column in this National League matchup.

Over 8.0 Total Runs (-105)

Neither McDonald or Taillon warrant much confidence on the mound in this matchup. McDonald is still relatively inexperienced at the big league level, and owns a 4.50 ERA through 34.0 innings of work this season. He’s also had his fair share of road woes. McDonald’s BAA goes from a strong .177 when pitching at home to .284 away from San Francisco.

The Cubs have been all over the place at the plate this season, but they still rank ninth in all of baseball with a .737 OPS at home.

Taillon owns a 5.13 ERA through 66.2 innings. He is known for being a consistent strike-thrower, but control has been a bit of an issue so far this season. Taillon has been among the league’s best in terms of walk rate over the past few seasons, but his current walk rate of 7.5 is near the bottom of the league and his highest since 2017.

If Taillon isn’t on his game, the Giants could be in a strong position to have success at the plate.

It’s also worth mentioning that both bullpens could be taxed in this matchup. Friday’s 18-run performance by San Francisco led to Chicago burning through plenty of bullpen arms. Then both teams needed plenty of relief in Saturday’s extra inning contest.

All in all, the over is the play in this one.

Read more betting picks and predictions for the MLB on site.

San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs odds

San Francisco Giants	+105
Chicago Cubs	-125
Run Line	CHI Cubs -1.5
Total	O/U 8.0

San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs player props

Player Home Run Odds

Rafael Devers (SF Giants)	+375
Casey Schmitt (SF Giants)	+400
Willy Adames (SF Giants)	+450
Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHI Cubs)	+475
Bryce Eldridge (CHI Cubs)	+475
Ian Happ (CHI Cubs)	+625

Read the latest MLB news on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.