Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago Cubs 8/18/2017 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Friday, August 18, 2017

Wrigley Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: J.A. Happ vs. Jake Arrieta

The Toronto Blue Jays visit Wrigley Field on Friday, August 18, 2017 to play the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are J.A. Happ for the Blue Jays and Jake Arrieta for the Cubs.

The opening line for this matchup has Toronto at +164 and Chicago at -174. The Blue Jays have a 55-59-6 over/under record and a 53-67-0 run line mark. The Cubs are 49-70-0 against the run line and have a 55-58-6 over/under record.

Valuable Toronto Blue Jays Betting Trends

The Toronto Blue Jays are 55-59-6 against the over/under

The Toronto Blue Jays are 53-67-0 against the run line

Important Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 55-58-6 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 49-70-0 against the run line

Key Toronto Blue Jays Injuries

08/12/17 C Russell Martin Oblique 10-day DL (08/12)
08/09/17 SS Troy Tulowitzki Ankle 60-day DL (07/29)
08/09/17 P Cesar Valdez Shoulder 10-day DL (08/08)
07/22/17 P Aaron Sanchez Blister 10-day DL (07/22)
07/05/17 C Luke Maile Knee 10-day DL (07/04)
07/01/17 2B Devon Travis Knee 60-day DL (06/06)
06/16/17 3B Chris Coghlan Wrist 10-day DL (06/16)
05/24/17 LF Anthony Alford Wrist 10-day DL (05/24)
05/20/17 CF Darrell Ceciliani Shoulder 10-day DL (05/19)
04/09/17 P Bo Schultz Elbow 60-day DL (03/30)
04/03/17 CF Dalton Pompey Concussion 60-day DL (03/30)

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

08/11/17 C Willson Contreras Hamstring 10-day DL (08/10)
08/09/17 P Koji Uehara Neck 10-day DL (08/09)
08/04/17 SS Addison Russell Foot 10-day DL (08/03)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Blue Jays have a 58-62 overall record this season. Starting pitcher J.A. Happ has a 6-8 record with an earned run average of 3.63 and a WHIP of 1.30. He has 93 strikeouts over his 96.2 innings pitched and he's given up 95 hits. He allows 8.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.19. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.33 and they have given up 384 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .234 against the bullpen and they've struck out 464 hitters and walked 165 batters. As a team, Toronto allows 8.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.5 batters per nine innings. They are 17th in the league in team earned run average at 4.51. The Blue Jays pitchers collectively have given up 1,072 base hits and 541 earned runs. They have allowed 148 home runs this season, ranking them 15th in the league. Toronto as a pitching staff has walked 428 batters and struck out 1,025. They have walked 3.6 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.5 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.39 and their FIP as a unit is 4.32.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Toronto is hitting .241, good for 28th in the league. The Blue Jays hold a .411 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .317, which is good for 22nd in baseball. They rank 28th in MLB with 8.1 hits per game. Justin Smoak is hitting .294 with an on-base percentage of .370. He has 123 hits this season in 419 at bats with 77 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .573 and an OPS+ of 143. Kevin Pillar is hitting .247 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .299. He has totaled 110 hits and he has driven in 29 men in 445 at bats. His OPS+ is 81 while his slugging percentage is at .396. The Blue Jays have 975 hits, including 190 doubles and 162 home runs. Toronto has walked 415 times so far this season and they have struck out 939 times as a unit. They have left 797 men on base and have a team OPS of .728. They score 4.27 runs per contest and have scored a total of 512 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Chicago has a 63-56 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.73, Jake Arrieta has a 12-8 record and a 1.20 WHIP. He has 135 strikeouts over the 140 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 123 hits. He allows 7.9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.04. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.60 and they have given up 322 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .214 against the Cubs bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 443 batters and walked 187 opposing hitters. As a team, Chicago allows 8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings. They are 7th in the league in team earned run average at 3.97. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 941 base knocks and 468 earned runs this season. They have given up 145 home runs this year, which ranks 18th in Major League Baseball. Chicago as a staff has walked 415 hitters and struck out 1,043 batters. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.28 while their FIP as a staff is 4.26.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .248, good for 21st in the league. The Cubs hold a .434 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .331, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 22nd in MLB with 8.4 hits per contest. Javier Baez comes into this matchup batting .269 with an OBP of .308. He has 91 hits this year along with 54 RBI in 338 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .494 with an OPS+ of 104. Anthony Rizzo is hitting .265 this season and he has an OBP of .385. He has collected 114 hits in 431 at bats while driving in 80 runs. He has an OPS+ of 131 and a slugging percentage of .513. The Cubs as a unit have 1,002 base hits, including 198 doubles and 169 homers. Chicago has walked 446 times this year and they have struck out on 1,018 occasions. They have had 840 men left on base and have an OPS of .766. They have scored 4.79 runs per game and totaled 570 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Blue Jays/Cubs MLB game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Blue Jays +164

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink