Miami Marlins vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 4/18/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Miami Marlins vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Thursday, April 18, 2024

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Miami (+128) Chicago (-152)

The Miami Marlins (4-14) are en route to Wrigley Field on Thursday where they will try to beat the Chicago Cubs (10-7). The line on this matchup has Miami at +128 while Chicago opens at -152. The over/under is set at 8. The expected starting pitchers are A.J. Puk and Jameson Taillon.

Miami has a slugging percentage of .323 and have struck out 145 times, while taking a walk on 50 occasions. They have compiled 67 RBI's as well as 131 base knocks so far this year, while their batting average sits at .217. The Marlins have hit 20 two-baggers as a team and have hit 14 baseballs out of the park. They have a total of 69 runs scored and hold an OBP of .281. As a team, the Miami Marlins are scoring 3.8 runs/g, which puts them at 21st in the league.

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The Marlins have a team ERA of 4.94 this season (27th in MLB), and their staff has rung up 159 batters. Marlins pitchers have yielded 20 home runs and 102 runs in total (28th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 85 players from the other team and their FIP comes in at 4.61 as a unit this season. Miami has conceded 166 base hits (9.2 per 9 innings) as well as 89 earned runs. They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 1.87 and their pitching staff sits with a WHIP of 1.55.

The Marlins relievers have accumulated a save percentage of 25.0% and has entered the game in 20 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 29 base runners on the season with 41.4% of them ended up crossing the plate. Marlins pitchers have entered the contest with runners on 17 times in addition to having 16 appearances in high leverage situations. The Marlins have sent 60 relief pitchers to the mound on the campaign. The bullpen have recorded 12 holds over the course of the season (8th in MLB). They have accumulated 2 saves on the year and have not converted 6 out of their 8 save chances.

The Miami Marlins have accumulated 486 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 166 assists and 14 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .979 which has them ranked 26th in professional baseball, and have a total of 17 double plays. The Marlins have converted 66.2% of balls in play into outs in their 1,458 innings on the diamond, which has them ranked 28th in MLB.

Puk has taken the ball for 275 innings and has earned 240 punch outs in his career. His earned run average is 3.93 (120 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.276. He has surrendered 274 base hits (9.0 hits per nine innings) and has 77 free passes. Puk (17-11 career mark) has a FIP of 4.31 and he has gone up against 1,163 hitters in the majors.

The Cubs hold a team SLG% of .418 and they average 5.65 runs per game (6th in the league). They have 25 two-baggers, while taking a walk 68 times and scoring 96 runs. Chicago has compiled 20 home runs on the season and 87 RBIs. They have struck out on 142 occasions (17th in the league) and have tallied 142 base hits. The Chicago Cubs have tallied an on-base percentage of .329 and a batting average of .247 this season.

The Chicago pitching staff have given up 83 runs for the season while holding an ERA of 4.40 (74 earned runs relinquished). They have allowed 17 long balls and they yield 4.94 runs per 9 innings (23rd in the league). The Cubs hold a team WHIP of 1.362 with a FIP of 4.17 as a team for the season. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 9.40 (159 strikeouts against 71 free passes). They are sitting at 10th in baseball as a staff in total hits allowed with 135.

With 22 save situations, the Cubs have 12 holds and 5 blown saves. Chicago has called on relief pitchers to enter the game in 9 save chances and they have converted 4 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 26 times in high leverage situations and on 19 occasions with base runners. Chicago bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 51.9% out of their 27 inherited base runners. They rank 24th in MLB holding a save rate of 44.4%, and they have dispatched 64 relief pitchers to the mound on the season.

The Chicago Cubs have gotten 13 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .982 (20th in baseball). The Cubs have 138 assists, 11 errors and have amassed 455 putouts on the campaign. In 1,365 innings played, the Cubs have earned a defensive efficiency of 68.9% (20th in professional baseball).

So far in his career, Taillon has given up 228 base hits and he has 301 punch outs in 267 innings. Taillon (15-17 win-loss mark in his career) has a 3.44 earned run average while allowing 7.7 hits per nine innings. He has surrendered a total of 102 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.213 and having a FIP of 3.6. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.14 and he has gone up against 1,123 batters during his career.

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

Parlay's Pundit's Pick: Take Chicago (-152) and under 8 runs

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