Miami Marlins vs. New York Mets

April 19, 2024

The Miami Marlins will travel to Chicago, Illinois, to face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, with the game scheduled to start at 2:20 PM ET on Friday afternoon and will air on the MLB Network and Bally Sports Florida.

Miami Marlins Team Preview

The Miami Marlins have struggled to start the 2024 MLB season as they enter this game tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in the National League and have lost four of their last six games, including a 1-3 loss at home against the San Francisco Giants in Game 3 of their series on Wednesday.

The Marlins have yet to win a series this season, including a 1-2 series loss at home against the Giants in their most recent series, and have been swept in two of their series this season. The Marlins have lost by an average margin of .83 runs per game over their last six games.

Miami has won six of the last ten games in the series against Chicago and has won by an average margin of .7 runs per game in those contests. The Miami Marlins will look to take Game 1 of the series when they travel to face the Chicago Cubs.

Chicago Cubs Team Preview

The Chicago Cubs were one of the better teams in the National League early on in the 2024 MLB season. They enter this game with the third-best record in the NL, trailing only the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers for the best record.

Chicago is coming off a 2-1 series win on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which ended with a 5-3 win in Game 3 of the series on Wednesday. The Cubs have won four of their first six series to start the season, including two series in a row. The Cubs have won four of their last five games by an average margin of 1.2 runs per game in those matchups.

The Chicago Cubs have won two of the previous seven games in the series against the Miami Marlins, winning by an average margin of 1.33 runs per game. On Friday afternoon, they will host the Miami Marlins in Game 1 of the series, looking to win their sixth game in seven.

Odds and Series Trends

BetNow has the Chicago Cubs listed as -165 moneyline favorites at home against the Miami Marlins in Game 1 of the series on Friday afternoon. Miami has won six of the previous ten games while winning by an average margin of .7 runs per game in those contests, while the Cubs have won two of the last three games in the series and have won by an average margin of 1.33 runs per game in those matchups.

Game Pick

Chicago has the third-best record in the National League, while Miami is tied for the second-worst record. The Cubs have won two of the previous three games in the series and have won by an average margin of 1.33 runs per game in those meetings. I look for those trends to continue, so I am taking the moneyline for the Chicago Cubs when they host the Miami Marlins on Friday afternoon.

Spooky Express Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline (-165)

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