Cubs shoot to cash in against Brewers
The Cubs didn’t enter the All-Star break on the highest of notes. As soon as the second half of the season kicked off, though, the magic took hold all over again.
Winners of four of the past six games, Joe Maddon’s troops visit Milwaukee tonight. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI list the NL Central pacesetters as 1.5-run favorites, while the Brewers are considered +143 underdogs. The over/under run total sits at nine.
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Chicago’s post-Midsummer Classic surge, particularly against the Mets earlier in the week, owes a lot to some sublime starting pitching. Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks have combined for a 1.54 ERA. Hammel gets the nod at 8:10 p.m. ET, and few individuals tend to silence the Brew Crew like the veteran righty. He’s 8-1 with a 2.66 ERA in 12 career encounters with the franchise.
Jimmy Nelson aims to provide ample resistance following an exceptional showing his last time out. The Oregon native blanked the Reds for seven frames, ending a monthlong slide. In his most recent turn vs. the Cubbies, Nelson went 7 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out five.
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The fact remains, however, that he simply can’t defeat the Windy City crew. After seven assignments, Nelson still searches for that elusive first victory. It’s not happening here either. Chicago will improve to 26-13 against Milwaukee since the beginning of the 2014 campaign.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: CUBS -1.5