Three weeks ago, it would be hard to put into words just how massive this series felt. The Brewers and the Cubs, battling it out for the NL Central crown, were set to play a rare five-game series in late August. It truly seemed like the type of scheduling quirk that might decide the whole division.
Flash forward to the present, and things appear to be less paramount. The Cubs have slumped, while the Brewers just finished up a 14-game winning streak. You really don’t need to know much more than that to figure out why it’s Milwaukee who enters the day with an eight-game lead in the standings.
Game 2 of Monday’s doubleheader will get going at 8:05 p.m. ET. Let’s preview it with the help of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Brewers at Cubs prediction, preview
We all joke about the Brewers’ ability to seemingly generate controllable assets out of nowhere, but this team’s depth is no laughing matter. Chad Patrick is a perfect example of this. Most clubs would be dreading a doubleheader, as it creates a need for a sixth MLB caliber starting pitcher to take on the role of 27th man. Milwaukee just has Patrick chilling in Triple-A. At one point this season, the right-hander was the Brewers’ best arm in the rotation, and at the time of his demotion, Patrick owned a 3.52 ERA to go along with a 3.56 FIP. Heck, Patrick hasn’t been on Milwaukee’s roster since early July, yet he still leads all NL rookie pitchers in fWAR (2.0). This guy would be an SP3 on most teams. He’s that solid.
Ironically, the Cubs will also be turning to a man in Game 2 that we all haven’t seen pitch in almost two months. Jameson Taillon is expected to start the night cap of the doubleheader, as he’ll be activated off the 15-day IL. It seems like the veteran RHP is ready to get back, as Taillon tossed 5.1 scoreless innings in his last rehab outing in Triple-A Iowa. Prior to his ailment, Taillon was having a bit of an up-and-down campaign for Chicago, posting a 4.44 ERA and a 5.19 FIP over 17 starts and 95.1 innings. The big issue in 2025? The home run ball. Taillon has surrendered 2.08 long balls per nine this season — and it’s not like the wind conditions are Wrigley are overly responsible. 14 of the 22 homers that Taillon has conceded have been hit on the road, while opposing RHBs are smashing 2.51 per nine off the 33-year-old. Not ideal.
It’s not going to be a soft landing spot for Taillon, either. In August, the Brewers have easily been the league’s best offensive attack, leading MLB in average (.309), wOBA (.392) and wRC+ (156). Conversely, the Cubs have struggled with the bats this month, sitting 29th in both ISO (.116) and wRC+ (74). Kyle Tucker hasn’t hit a home run since July 19 and his struggles are weighing very heavily on the rest of Chicago’s lineup. The soon-to-be free agent needs to be better.
Brewers at Cubs pick, best bet
Best Bet: Brewers ML (+104)
Doubleheaders are weird. Generally speaking, I’m drawn to the underdog in these unique circumstances. It helps when that underdog has by far the best record in MLB.
Strong Lean: Cubs Under 4.5 Runs (-130)
Chad Patrick is legitimately good and the Cubs haven’t hit for any power across the past three weeks.
