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The Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins will start a three-game series on Friday, April 28 at 6:40 p.m. ET from loanDepot park in Miami, Florida. The Cubs are coming off a series where they took two of three against the San Diego Padres, while the Marlins ended a four-game losing streak with a win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. Marcus Stroman (2-2, 2.17 ERA) will take the mound for Chicago against Miami lefty Jesus Luzardo (2-1, 3.62).
These two teams are dead-even on the moneyline at -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the run total is set at 7.5.
Cubs-Marlins picks: Friday, April 28
Injury report
Cubs
Out: SP Jameson Tallion (groin), SP Kyle Hendricks (shoulder), RP Ethan Roberts (elbow), RP Codi Heuer (elbow)
Marlins
Out: SP Trever Rogers (forearm), RP JT Chargois (oblique), 2B Joey Wendle (oblique), SP Johnny Cueto (biceps), RP Tommy Nance (shoulder), RP Nic Enright (cancer), RP Anthony Bender (elbow), SP Max Meyer (elbow)
Starting pitchers
Marcus Stroman vs. Jesus Luzardo
Stroman is off to a hot start to his second season with the Cubs despite coming off a poor outing on Sunday. He allowed just two runs over 24 innings of work in his first four starts before giving up five runs in five innings in the loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Luzardo has been getting banged around a bit, allowing eight hits in two of his last three outings, though his top-line numbers still look good after two very good starts to begin the season. Luzardo allowed four runs on eight hits with a walk over 4.1 innings in Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
Over/Under pick
Luzardo allowed at least three runs in three consecutive starts with enough traffic on the base paths to make me believe this total is going over. The Cubs have been hitting the ball well through the first month of the season, and they should do plenty of damage to this over/under.
Pick: Over 7.5
Moneyline pick
Chicago appears to have the better pitcher at this point, and the offensive production certainly sides with the Cubs. Chicago is scoring the third-most runs per game (5.6) this season with Miami putting up the third fewest (3.3).
Pick: Cubs