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On Thursday, the Philadelphia Phillies will send Taijuan Walker (8-3, 4.10) to the mound as they look to complete a three-game sweep of the Cubs. Kyle Hendricks (3-2, 2.60 ERA) will take the mound for the North Siders. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. The Phillies are slight -115 moneyline favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Cubs are -105 underdogs. The total is set at 10.
Phillies-Cubs picks: Thursday, June 29
Injury report
Phillies
Out: RP Seranthony Domínguez (left oblique strain)
Cubs
Day to day: SP Marcus Stroman (blister)
Out: 3B Patrick Wisdom (right wrist strain), RP Brad Boxberger (right forearm strain), SP Brando Hughes (left knee inflammation)
Starting pitchers
Taijuan Walker vs. Kyle Hendricks
Walker’s been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball over the past month, as he’s gone undefeated in his last four appearances, boasting a 0.69 ERA over that time span. With a win tonight, Walker would tie his career-high by winning five straight games. Walker picked up a win over the Cubs earlier this year when he threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the club on May 21.
Hendricks is no slouch either, as he comes into tonight’s game with a 1.40 ERA over his last three starts, all of which were wins. He picked up a win his last time out by allowing one earned run over 6 1/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 21. He ranks in the 92nd percentile in exit velocity and the 80th percentile in hard-hit rate.
Over/Under pick
I’m backing the under here. While these offenses have been playing well lately, Kendricks and Walker are two of the hottest pitchers in baseball, and should spend most of the night fooling hitters. While I think there’s a chance these bullpens could give up their fair share of runs, this number is still too high.
Pick: Under 10
Moneyline pick
We’re riding with Walker. As mentioned above, he’s on a tear for the Phillies, and I’m expecting him to set the tone for the start tonight for team that’s beginning to find its groove on offense.
Pick: Phillies