Cubs+121
Cubs vs. Mets MLB Preview and Best Bet (Archive)
A shot at a 4-game series sweep awaits the New York Mets on Thursday’s sports betting calendar when they finish up a homestand against the Chicago Cubs.
Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets
Thursday, June 17, 2021 – 7:10 PM EDT at Citi Field
Considering the Mets had not beaten the Cubs in New York for four years prior to the start of this series, sweeping four from Chicago this week would’ve been thought highly unlikely. The Mets posted a 5-2 decision to open the set on Monday, and followed that with 3-2 and 6-3 MLB scores. Wednesday’s final got past the total, just the second time in the last six matchups between the two at Citi Field that ‘over’ bettors had winning tickets.
Breaching the total again on Thursday might be difficult with a mound duel pitting Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks (8-4, 4.46) against Marcus Stroman (6-4, 2.33) of New York. GTbets (visit our GTbets Review) favors the Mets on a -130 moneyline and, like most shops, has a 7½-run total priced to the ‘under.’
Cubs’ Skid has Tightened 4-Team NL Central Race
Chicago can at least be thankful its 3-game skid has coincided with Milwaukee also dropping three in a row. The slump by the Cubs and Brewers, who are tied on top of the NL Central, has really tightened the division race with Cincinnati 3-games back in third and St. Louis a game behind the Reds in fourth. Chicago was without Kris Bryant on Wednesday due to a bruised hand the third baseman suffered on Tuesday, and he’s questionable for the series finale.
That awful month of April is well behind Hendricks, who owns a 3.11 ERA since calendars flipped to May. That has translated into 6-straight wins for the righthander and Chicago, along with winning slips for baseball bettors in seven of his eight May/June outings. The latest triumph came at this past weekend at Wrigley, where the Cubs were -170 chalk on the MLB betting odds, Hendricks working the first six innings of a 7-2 final and allowing just three hits.
Hendricks is facing the Mets for just the second time since 2016, and he’d rather forget the last time he was on the mound at Citi Field. That 2019 assignment in New York saw the righthander sent to the showers in the fifth inning, having allowed six runs. The 31-year-old had won his three previous starts against the Mets, logging 19.1 innings and allowing one run.
Mets Holding Breath on Latest deGrom Injury
New York fans are anxiously awaiting MRI results on ace Jacob deGrom’s right shoulder. Off to an historic start to the 2021 season, deGrom left Wednesday’s contest after three perfect innings, striking out eight of the nine Chicago batters he faced. The initial diagnosis is it’s nothing serious, but it was the second consecutive game deGrom was forced from the mound early.
Coming off successive wins over the San Diego Padres, Stroman is seeking his sixth consecutive quality start on Thursday. Both victories came with the Mets closing as underdogs at online betting sites, Stroman combining for 13 innings while allowing just two runs – 1 earned – to go with 15 strikeouts against the powerful Padres lineup. New York has won four of his five starts at Citi Field where he owns a 1.88 ERA.
Stroman is taking on the Cubs for the first time in a Mets uniform, and just the third time in his career. The other two came as a member of the Blue Jays, both games taking place in Toronto. He tossed a complete game shutout against Chicago in 2014, then lost a 2019 assignment at Rogers Centre with a 6-IP, 4-ER linescore.
Umpire Notes, Big Apple Forecast & A Free Pick
Hal Harrison ‘Tripp’ Gibson III will complete one full turn through Alfonso Marquez’s crew when he calls balls and strikes on Thursday. Gibson is filling in for Tim Timmons this week, and has been a very good friend to ‘under’ bettors this year with 11 of his previous 13 plate assignments coming up short of the totals.
The weatherman is calling for a nice evening for baseball in Flushing, the thermometer around 77° for the first pitch under clear skies. The forecast also includes a 5-8 mph NW breeze (in from left) to begin the game, shifting more to a left-to-right breeze as the game progresses.
Chicago was playing well before arriving in New York earlier this week, and the prospect of not having Bryant in the lineup on Thursday won’t do any favors for a lineup that has scored just nine runs the last four games. Still, I like the groove Hendricks has found and will play the underdogs with my free MLB pick.
MLB Pick: Cubs +121 at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.