Phillies vs. Cubs: Game 2, prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Philadelphia Phillies challenge the Chicago Cubs in Game 2 of the teams’ three-game set in the Windy City. The visitors were shut down by Cubs after a brilliant start from pitcher Colin Rea.

After a hot start, the Phillies now find themselves reeling having lost five straight games starting with a surprising loss to the Marlins on April 20. Yesterday, they were surprisingly shut down by the Cubs after only being able to generate five hits.

On the other hand, things are looking up for the Cubs. The team has a firm grip in the lead of the NL Central after winning three-straight games. In addition, the Cubs continue to pile on the runs as they have now recorded 167 runs scored through 27 games.

Phillies vs Cubs recent form and records

Philadelphia’s 13-13 record is now in danger of being snagged by the Miami Marlins who are just half a game behind. The team’s five-game losing streak is their longest of the season and are now carrying a 4-9 win-loss card on the road.

Chicago, meanwhile, has won seven of their last ten games and have a +47 in run differentials. The team has also tallied a mighty 17-10 record against team over the .500 mark.

Players to watch

Starting pitchers

PHI: Jesus Luzardo (2-0, 2.08 ERA), CHC: Ben Brown (2-1, 4.57 ERA)

Philadelphia Phillies

After a tough 2024 season, Jesus Luzardo has turned things around to start the new campaign. The young Peruvian lefty owns a 2-0 record across five starts with 36 strikeouts across 30 and 1/3 innings.

Must-Watch Hitters

Chicago Cubs

All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker is building another MVP-caliber season for himself. Since his arrival in Chicago, he has played a starring role in the high-octane Cubs offense. Tucker is batting .308/.414/.617 with an OPS of 1.031. He has also tallied seven home runs, 25 RBIs, eight doubles, and eight stolen bases.

Phillies vs Cubs baseball betting odds

Phillies vs Cubs expert picks and game prediction

Bookmakers have pegged the game as evens when it comes to outcome. It should be a nip-and-tuck affair with starter Jesus Luzardo starting for Philadelphia. The work has been certainly cut out for the young hurler as he is set to face arguably the hottest offense in the league this season.

If Chicago can startle Luzardo early on, they should have an easier route to the victory as Philly’s bullpen wouldn’t mount that big of a challenge with it being the second-worst relief crew in the league in terms of ERA at 5.44.

Run Line: +1.5, -198

Total Runs: U 7.5, -148

Prediction: CHC wins, 3-1

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Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel’s favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren’t many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Daniel Santiago