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Two teams that this writer believes will reach the 2024 MLB playoffs face off Friday night in an Apple TV+ exclusive as the Chicago Cubs visit the Seattle Mariners, who opened as short favorites on the MLB odds to open a three-game set.

2024 MLB Expert Analysis Chicago Cubs vs Seattle | MyBookie Sportsbook MLB Week 2

How to Bet Cubs at Mariners MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Friday, 9:40 PM ET
Where: T-Mobile Park
Probable pitchers (away/home): Jordan Wicks/Bryce Miller
TV: None national
Stream/gameday audio: Apple TV+
Opening MLB Lines: Mariners -110, Cubs +100 (total 8)

Why Bet on Chicago Cubs?

The Cubs (7-5) come off an ugly 10-2 loss in San Diego on Wednesday to drop two of three to the Padres to open this week. It was San Diego’s first series win of the young season. They blew it open in the sixth on Jake Cronenworth’s leadoff shot, his second homer of the year, and Jurickson Profar’s two-run homer, his second. Profar’s drive chased Kyle Hendricks (0-2). He allowed seven runs and nine hits. He has been terrible so far as the 17 runs Hendricks has allowed so far are his second-most allowed in a three-game stretch in his career.

The Cubs were fairly listless, managing just three total hits, and Michael Busch’s second home run of the year in the fourth inning provided all of the offense. He finished 1-for-2 with two walks and in his first season in Chicago has an .850 OPS and seven RBI. The Cubs gave second baseman Nico Hoerner Wednesday off. He had a breakout 2023 season but this year is slashing an ugly .139/.340/.167 with zero homers, zero RBI, zero stolen bases and a 6/8 K/BB ratio over 47 plate appearances in his first 11 games.

Ian Happ was 0-for-3 on Wednesday but did walk and has now reached base at least once in every game and leads the team with a .298 average and .421 OBP. Seiya Suzuki was 0-for-4 Wednesday but still has been one of the NL’s best players since Aug. 9, 2023. Since that point, he is batting nearly .350 with 18 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs and 49 RBI.

Reliever Mark Leiter Jr. has tossed 6.2 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts across six outings in 2024. Leiter is one of four N.L. pitchers (minimum six games) to have not allowed an earned run this season. Since July 17, 2023, Leiter has posted a 2.70 ERA (10 ER/33.1 IP) in 38 appearances.

It’s young lefty Jordan Wicks (0-1, 4.15) on the mound Friday. Wicks allowed two runs on six hits across 4.2 innings to take the loss last Saturday against the Dodgers. He walked one and struck out seven. Wicks pitched decently against a tough lineup, but the Cubs managed only one run in the 4-1 defeat. He was ineffective with his pitches, needing 100 to retire his 14 batters, which kept him from completing five innings for the second straight start. Wicks does have an impressive 13 strikeouts over 8.2 frames this season. This will be his first career start vs. Seattle.

Wicks is the Cubs’ No. 10 overall prospect. The 24-year-old reached Chicago last year after moving through Double-A and Triple-A. He had a 1.99 ERA in his first four MLB outings before admittedly dealing with late-season fatigue (9.00 ERA in his last three games).

Chicago Betting Odds to Win
MLB Money Line

Why Bet on Seattle Mariners?

The Mariners (5-8) have disappointed so far but snapped a three-game skid and avoided a three-game sweep in Toronto on Wednesday with a 6-1 win in 10 innings. Cal Raleigh hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning to lead the way as he connected on the first pitch he saw from Blue Jays left-hander Tim Mayza. It was the second homer in three days for Raleigh, though he’s gotten off to a slow start overall, going 6-for-36 with four RBI through his first 10 games.

One of the team’s big offseason additions was trading for Twins infielder Jorge Polanco, but he went 0-for-5 and struck out three times against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. Polanco is batting .167/.259/.229 with 19 strikeouts in 54 plate appearances and also has been a liability on defense. Another new addition, Mitch Garver, has been at DH most games but is hitting only .167. Offense has been easily Seattle’s biggest issue in the early going.

When the top of Seattle’s lineup hasn’t been hitting into hard outs, there have been far too many strikeouts. That swing and miss is exactly what the Mariners were hoping to leave in 2023. The team traded Eugenio Suárez to the Diamondbacks and saw Teoscar Hernández leave in free agency and both players ranked within the top three for strikeouts in all of MLB last year.

“The core of our club just haven’t really gotten much traction going,” Manager Scott Servais said. “And you need everybody contributing. We’re seeing it from other clubs.”

It’s young right-hander Bryce Miller on the mound Friday. Miller (1-1, 3.00) earned the win last Saturday in Milwaukee after he gave up just three hits and one walk across seven scoreless innings. He struck out seven. Miller generated 12 swinging strikes on just 78 pitches. Miller surrendered two homers during his season debut against the Red Sox, but just four batters reached base against him against the Brewers.

As a rookie in 2023, Miller was great against right-handers in holding them to a .210/.242/.332 slash line. The news wasn’t so good against lefty swingers, though, as they hit .282/.340/.521 against him, which was a problem. So Miller introduced a new pitch in his arsenal: A splitter. He has thrown it 20 times in each of his first two starts, with 28 of those 40 offerings against lefties. They are hitting .107/.194/.214 against Miller. He has never faced the Cubs.

The Mariners starting rotation has tallied 71 strikeouts this season, leading the AL and ranking 3rd-most in the majors, trailing only the Padres and Dodgers. Seattle is 3-1 in games decided by 1 run this season, and 4-2 in games decided by 2-or-fewer runs.

Seattle Betting Odds to Win
MLB Money Line

Cubs vs Mariners Expert Prediction

Mariners 4, Cubs 3

MLB Conferences Winners

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