Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 4/2/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Sunday, April 2, 2023

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

The Chicago Cubs (74-88 last season) will try to beat the Milwaukee Brewers (86-76 last year) at Wrigley Field on Sunday. The men taking the mound will be Eric Lauer and Jameson Taillon.

The Brewers accrued 251 doubles as a unit and hit 219 baseballs out of the park. Milwaukee had a slugging rate of .409 and were rung up 1,464 times, while being walked on 577 occasions. As a unit, the Milwaukee Brewers put up 4.5 runs per contest, which was 10th in MLB. They amassed 703 RBI's as well as 1,271 hits over the course of last season, while their team batting average was at .235. They racked up 725 runs and held an OBP of .315.

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The Brewers had an earned run average of 3.83 in the prior season (12th in baseball), and the staff struck out 1,530 batters. Their pitching staff walked 521 opposing players and their FIP came in at 3.92 as a squad for the previous season. They accumulated a K/BB ratio of 2.94 and the pitching staff had a collective WHIP of 1.22. Brewers pitchers gave up 190 home runs and 688 runs in total (17th in MLB).

The Brewers relief pitchers compiled a save rate of 62.7% and stepped onto the hill in 189 save situations. The relievers inherited 191 runners for the previous season and 28.3% of those players crossed the plate. Brewers relief pitchers entered the game with runners on 137 times in addition to having 201 games in high leverage situations. The Brewers had sent 548 relief pitchers to the mound during the previous year. The relievers had 106 holds last season (3rd in MLB). They recorded 52 saves over the course of the prior season and missed out on 31 of their 83 save opportunities.

The Brewers transformed 70.4% of baseballs in play into outs out of 13,014 innings, which ranked them 9th in MLB. The Milwaukee Brewers accounted for 4,338 putouts last season, as well as 1,419 assists and 91 errors. Their fielding rate held steady at .984 which ranked 20th in professional baseball, and accumulated 122 double plays.

Lauer has taken the ball for 550 innings and has racked up 524 strikeouts so far in his career. Lauer (32-31 record in his career) sits with a FIP of 4.37 and he has faced 2,366 opposing batters during his time in the major leagues. His ERA is 4.11 (251 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.340. He has given up 531 base hits (8.7 hits per nine innings) and has had 206 free passes.

Chicago had 159 home runs over the course of last year in addition to 620 runs batted in. They had 265 two-baggers, while getting a free base 507 times as well as scoring 657 runs. The Chicago Cubs had an on-base percentage of .311 as well as a team batting average of .238 in the prior season. The Cubs had a SLG% of .387 and they earned 4.06 runs per contest (22nd in MLB). They struck out on 1,448 occasions (6th in the league) and earned a total of 1,293 hits.

The Cubs had a WHIP of 1.304 and had a FIP of 4.33 as a squad last year. Their strikeout to walk ratio came in at 2.56 (1,383 strikeouts vs 540 walks). They ranked 18th in MLB as a staff in total hits surrendered with 1,342. They yielded 207 home runs and they conceded 4.56 runs per 9 innings (21st in baseball). The Chicago pitching staff yielded 731 runs over the course of last season while having an ERA of 4.00 (642 earned runs relinquished).

Chicago relief pitchers held an inherited score rate of 28.4% out of 232 inherited runners. Their relievers came in 186 times in high leverage situations in addition to 165 occasions with runners on. Ending the season with 136 save situations, the Cubs earned 57 holds and also 31 blown saves. They were ranked 20th in the league holding a save rate of 58.7%, and they dispatched 528 bullpen pitchers to the hill last season. Chicago had bullpen pitchers step onto the mound in 75 save opportunities and they converted 44 saves.

In 12,993 innings on the diamond, the Cubs held a defensive efficiency of 69.7% (16th in baseball). The Chicago Cubs turned 139 double plays and owned a fielding percentage of .984 (24th in baseball). The Cubs accrued 1,453 assists, 96 errors and amassed 4,331 putouts during the previous year.

Taillon (51-35 career record) has earned a 3.84 ERA and has surrendered 8.7 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.68 and he has gone up against 3,279 hitters during his MLB career. He has given up 336 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.212 and a FIP of 3.8. Thus far in his career, Taillon has given up 762 base hits while earning 710 K's in 787 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Chicago

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