There’s a changing of the guard in the National League Central. The Chicago Cubs are taking the division from the Milwaukee Brewers and running away with it.
The Brew Crew has won three of the last four division crowns since the Cubs last claimed one in 2020. This year, Chicago is firmly in control, and Milwaukee is in the Brewlag. They’re 21-13 after tonight’s 6-2 victory in Milwaukee. Winning the series’ first two games has put the Northsiders five games ahead of the reigning division winners.
Can the Brewers claw back? Or will Chicago pull off an emphatic three-game sweep on the road and push its lead even further?
Cubs vs. Brewers prediction, preview
It’ll be a battle of aces for Sunday’s matinee. The Brewers will trot out Freddy Peralta, who holds a 2.52 ERA across seven starts this year. Peralta, 29, has been consistent in his five years of full-time starter duty, posting an ERA of 3.43 across over 600 innings. He faces the monumental task of containing a Cubs lineup that leads the majors in runs per game.
Conversely, Chicago will be deploying their best in Shota Imanaga. The 31-year-old lefty placed in the top five in Cy Young voting last year and has a 2.77 ERA this season. He did have an injury scare in his previous start, but is all systems go according to Cubs manager Craig Counsell. Imanaga will look to beat down a lineup that has only scored two runs in their past three games.
Despite Peralta’s presence, things look somewhat uneven on paper, even less so if you’ve seen the last two games. Let’s dig into some predictions.
Cubs vs. Brewers pick, best bets
I’m not one to rock the boat here. Chicago is the far better team and has been hot while Milwaukee has gone cold. Fortunes always find a way of reversing in baseball, but I’m not confident in that on Sunday. I’m taking the Cubs -112 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. If you want to get spicier, Chicago’s run line of -1.5 is set at +154.
The Cubs feel unstoppable right now. I think Peralta can keep the runs down enough, but Milwaukee won’t be able to put enough on the board to back him up. Hey Chicago, what do you say?
