Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago Cubs 8/20/2017 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Wrigley Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Marco Estrada vs. Kyle Hendricks

Wrigley Field is the site of the matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, August 20, 2017. The probable starting pitchers are Marco Estrada for the Blue Jays and Kyle Hendricks for the Cubs.

Toronto opens at +186 while Chicago opens at -201. The Blue Jays have a 56-60-6 over/under record and a 54-68-0 run line mark. The Cubs are 50-71-0 against the run line and have a 57-58-6 over/under record.

Valuable Toronto Blue Jays Betting Trends

The Toronto Blue Jays are 56-60-6 against the over/under

The Toronto Blue Jays are 54-68-0 against the run line

Important Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 57-58-6 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 50-71-0 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

08/18/17 P Justin Grimm Finger 10-day DL (08/18)
08/17/17 P Jon Lester Shoulder 10-day DL (08/17)
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 59-63 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Marco Estrada has a 5-8 record with an earned run average of 5.09 and a WHIP of 1.46. He has 143 strikeouts over his 139.2 innings pitched and he's given up 144 hits. He allows 9.3 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.54. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.32 and they have given up 395 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .237 against the bullpen and they've struck out 470 hitters and walked 168 batters. As a team, Toronto allows 9 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.5 batters per nine innings. They are 19th in the league in team earned run average at 4.52. The Blue Jays pitchers collectively have given up 1,096 base hits and 551 earned runs. They have allowed 149 home runs this season, ranking them 16th in the league. Toronto as a pitching staff has walked 438 batters and struck out 1,042. They have walked 3.6 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.5 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.40 and their FIP as a unit is 4.31.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Toronto is hitting .241, good for 28th in the league. The Blue Jays hold a .412 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .316, which is good for 22nd in baseball. They rank 28th in MLB with 8.1 hits per game. Kevin Pillar is hitting .249 with an on-base percentage of .300. He has 112 hits this season in 449 at bats with 30 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .401 and an OPS+ of 83. Justin Smoak is hitting .297 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .372. He has totaled 127 hits and he has driven in 80 men in 427 at bats. His OPS+ is 145 while his slugging percentage is at .581. The Blue Jays have 991 hits, including 194 doubles and 165 home runs. Toronto has walked 418 times so far this season and they have struck out 957 times as a unit. They have left 807 men on base and have a team OPS of .728. They score 4.27 runs per contest and have scored a total of 521 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Chicago has a 64-57 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.45, Kyle Hendricks has a 4-4 record and a 1.26 WHIP. He has 75 strikeouts over the 88.2 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 82 hits. He allows 8.3 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.14. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.67 and they have given up 331 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .215 against the Cubs bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 452 batters and walked 194 opposing hitters. As a team, Chicago allows 8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings. They are 8th in the league in team earned run average at 4.03. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 963 base knocks and 483 earned runs this season. They have given up 147 home runs this year, which ranks 19th in Major League Baseball. Chicago as a staff has walked 425 hitters and struck out 1,058 batters. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.29 while their FIP as a staff is 4.26.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .250, good for 20th in the league. The Cubs hold a .440 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .333, which is good for 9th in baseball. They rank 21st in MLB with 8.5 hits per contest. Anthony Rizzo comes into this matchup batting .270 with an OBP of .388. He has 119 hits this year along with 83 RBI in 440 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .518 with an OPS+ of 133. Kris Bryant is hitting .290 this season and he has an OBP of .402. He has collected 122 hits in 421 at bats while driving in 55 runs. He has an OPS+ of 140 and a slugging percentage of .534. The Cubs as a unit have 1,028 base hits, including 204 doubles and 176 homers. Chicago has walked 451 times this year and they have struck out on 1,039 occasions. They have had 852 men left on base and have an OPS of .772. They have scored 4.85 runs per game and totaled 587 runs this season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Cubs -201

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