From Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have the Yankees and Cubs facing off in an interleague matchup. Sunday's matchup has a start time of 2:20 PM ET, and YES will be televising the game. Gerrit Cole will start for the Yankees, while the Cubs are starting Jameson Taillon.
The Yankees have won two straight and are 82-60, putting them first in the AL East. The Cubs, meanwhile, are 3rd in the NL Central with a record of 72-70. On the money line, the Yankees are favored at -161, while the Cubs are the slight underdog at +137. Sunday's over/under line is at 9 runs.
New York vs. Chicago Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Yankees at Cubs
- Where: Wrigley Field Chicago
- Date: Sunday, September 8th
- Betting Odds NYY -161 | CHC +137 O/U 9
Yankees vs Cubs Last Game Recap
New York picked up a 2-0 win over the Cubs in the most recent game of this series. The Yankees offense only had four hits in the game but still picked up a win thanks to a good outing from Clarke Schmidt, who went just 4 2/3 innings but didn't give up a run. Heading into the game, the Yankees were favored at -144 on the money line.
Javier Assad got the start for the Cubs and gave up just one run in 5 2/3 innings of work. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued three walks. Nestor Cortes got the win out of the bullpen for the Yankees.
Both teams scored one run in the first inning, and the Yankees got the game's final run in the 6th. As for the Cubs, they had their best chance to score in the 7th, but the Yankees bullpen shut them down.
Yankees Preview
Heading into today's game, the Yankees have a 2-8 record over their last ten games, but they have won two straight games. They are 82-60 overall this season, leading the AL East by a half-game over the Orioles. New York's overall series record is 25-16-4, and they have lost three straight series.
On the run line, the Yankees have a 44-30 record on the road and are 21-4 as underdogs. The over/under record in their games this season is 78-60, with an average of 9.3 runs per game. Their under streak is at two games, and the O/U line for today's game is set at 9 runs.
New York is sending right-hander Gerrit Cole to the mound today as he faces the Cubs on the road. Cole has made 13 starts this year and has a record of 6-3. His ERA for the season is 3.65, along with a WHIP of 1.29. In his 13 appearances, Cole has turned in five quality starts. Looking back at his most recent outing, Cole picked up the win, going six innings and giving up one earned run on four hits. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight outings. Cole's ERA at home is 4.1 compared to 3.95 on the road.
Not only do the Yankees lead the league in home runs this season, but they are also one of the top-scoring offenses in the league, averaging 5.1 runs per game. The Yankees have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per game. As a team, they are also the league's top on-base percentage team and have the best OPS in the league.
Aaron Judge has been the league's top run producer this season, as his 51 homers and 125 RBIs are both the best in the league. He is also hitting .321 for the season. Juan Soto is also having a strong season, hitting .294 with 38 homers. DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres are both on hitting streaks, with Torres' stretch being eight games.
Cubs Preview
Chicago's run line record is 69-73 this season, and their games have gone under the total line in 72.5% of their games, resulting in an over/under record of 65-72. The Cubs are currently 3rd in the NL Central with a 72-70 record, trailing the Brewers by 10 games.
As underdogs, the Cubs are 34-37 straight up and 46-25 against the run line. They are 38-33 when favored. Chicago has won three straight series on the road, but they are currently down 0-2 in their series vs. the Yankees, having lost two straight games.
Jameson Taillon will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn't allow a run. Against the Pirates on September 2nd, he went seven innings, giving up just three hits and one walk. Taillon finished with a no-decision in that outing. Looking back further, he has allowed four earned runs in each of his last two outings. His record for the season is 9-8, and his ERA is 3.66. Out of his 24 starts, Taillon has turned in 12 quality starts and is averaging 6.86 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, he has given up 20 homers.
So far this season, the Cubs offense is averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 5 runs per game, which is 7th in the MLB. As a team, the Cubs are batting .239, and their 149 home runs is 17th in the league. Chicago is also near the top of the league in walks and has a collective on-base percentage of .315.
Over his last seven games, Dansby Swanson has gone 11/27 for the Cubs, including two home runs and six RBIs. Cody Bellinger is also on a five-game hitting streak. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are the Cubs' top power hitters, with Happ leading the team with 23 homers and Suzuki right behind him at 19. Happ also leads the team with 81 RBIs.
Yankees vs. Cubs Prediction: Cubs ML +137
With the Cubs currently sitting at +137 on the money line, that is the route we recommend going for this game. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Cubs, giving them the edge in both the money line and the over/under line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Gerrit Cole is projected to finish with eight strikeouts, while Jameson Taillon is projected to finish with five. Taillon is also predicted to finish with a higher ERA than Cole, and the Yankees are projected to finish with more home runs than the Cubs.
