Chicago Cubs vs Miami Marlins Prediction: Marlins to keep the scores close

The Chicago Cubs will welcome the Miami Marlins to Wrigley Field in an MLB encounter this Friday. Off to this game, the Cubs have played nine consecutive road games, while the Marlins will come in as road underdogs. Full match previews, including betting possibilities, will be provided below. 

Chicago Cubs have an 11-7 record overall and a 5-1 record at home this season, and coming here, they will look to improve their stats. The Chicago Cubs picked two road wins over the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks in consecutive games ahead of this series. Chicago has compiled 20 home runs on the season and 87 RBIs. They have struck out on 142 occasions (17th in the league) and have tallied 142 base hits. The Chicago Cubs will have right-handed Jameson Taillon taking the mound for them in this Friday’s opener. Ahead of this game, the Chicago Cubs have won each of their last six home games against teams with a losing record. In their previous ten games, the Cubs are 6-4, with a .223 batting average, 3.94 ERA, and outscored opponents by six runs.

The Miami Marlins were 0-9 at the beginning of the season, but they have improved since then, and coming here, they will look to secure their fifth win. Heading into this road game, the Miami Marlins have just lost two of their series to the San Francisco Giants. The previous encounters ended with the same results against the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees. Miami Marlins have a slugging percentage of .323 and have struck out 145 times while taking a walk on 50 occasions. AJ Puk will start as the pitcher for the Miami Marlins in this game, and in his first three starts this season, he has a 0-3 record and an ERA sitting at 5.91 in 10.2 innings pitched. Off to this game, the Miami Marlins have lost seven of their last eight games against National League Central opponents, but they did well to cover the run line in each of their last six games overall.

This is the Chicago Cubs' first home game after nine road games, and in this situation, it is common for a squad to have a quiet game. As the pitcher for the Marlins, AJ Puk conceded just two runs in his last two outings spanning 8.2 innings, and he was even far better against the New York Yankees. Therefore, with Jameson Taillon making his first full debut here, I expect the Miami Marlins bats to step up and cover the run line. Also, while this game could start slow for both sides, a bet on a few runs is worth considering.