Pick on the Moneyline for Padres-Cubs on April 27

The Padres wrap up their series in Chicago vs. the Cubs on Thursday, and San Diego is looking to shut down a lineup that leads the National League in runs per game.

San Diego Padres (-170) vs. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs entered Wednesday hitting a National League-best .278, with seven of their 10 players with more than 25 at-bats hitting at least .288.

Meanwhile, the Padres offense has struggled to generate hits, entering Wednesday last in the league in batting average at .214, which falls to .206 in road games.

Seth Lugo gets the start for the Padres to try to keep the bats at bay, as he’s allowed three runs or fewer in all four of his starts this season. But, he could be due for regression from his 2.78 ERA with opponents hitting .261 off of him this season.

San Diego’s relievers have also been shaky, with their 4.71 bullpen ERA ranking 24th among MLB teams, while the Cubs’ 4.11 bullpen ERA is 18th.

The Cubs turn to Hayden Wesneski, who has a 3.58 ERA across his 10 career appearances since being called up to the MLB level in 2022, providing steady efforts with 2.5 walks per nine innings and allowing three runs or fewer in nine of his 10 appearances.

With the Padres having issues getting on base, coupled with bullpen woes, the hot-swinging Cubs lineup will provide enough run support to keep the team’s hot start going.

The Play: Cubs +145