Brewers and Cubs Split Series Openers at Wrigley Field

The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs are in the midst of a four-game series at Wrigley Field, with each team taking one of the first two games in starkly contrasting fashion. The Cubs opened the series with a 17-3 blowout win, a game in which they hit nine home runs — a franchise record and tied for the second-most by one team in a single game in MLB history, as reported by the New York Post. The Brewers responded with a 9-4 victory the following night, according to Sports Illustrated.

The Cubs' offensive outburst continued a recent trend of high-scoring games, though not necessarily wins. As noted by Sports Illustrated, the Cubs have scored 17 runs in two of their last three games but have only two wins in their last six contests. The Brewers, meanwhile, have lost two in a row after a four-game winning streak.

Both teams entered the series with strong overall records. As of September 2, the Brewers stood at 86-53 and the Cubs at 78-61, per Sports Illustrated. A day earlier, the Brewers were 85-53 and the Cubs 78-60, according to another Sports Illustrated preview.

Probable Pitchers and Betting Odds

Betting previews for the series have focused on the pitching matchups for the September 1 and September 2 games. For Tuesday, September 1, the Cubs were scheduled to start Matthew Boyd (8-3, 3.99 ERA) against the Brewers' Robert Gasser (4-5, 4.59 ERA), with the Cubs listed as -124 moneyline favorites, according to the New York Post. Sports Illustrated's September 1 preview also listed Boyd and Gasser, with the Cubs at -123 on the moneyline and the total set at 10 runs (Over -113/Under -107).

For Wednesday, September 2, the pitching matchup shifts to Jacob Misiorowski (14-5, 1.73 ERA) for the Brewers against David Peterson (7-7, 5.11 ERA) for the Cubs, as reported by Sports Illustrated. The Brewers were -162 moneyline favorites, with the Cubs at +134, and the run line was Brewers +5 (+105) / Cubs -5 (-126), with the total at 8.5 (Over -101/Under -119).

Recent outings have informed expectations for these starters. Misiorowski allowed two runs on two hits with six strikeouts in six innings against the Mets in his last start, and he has allowed just one run on five hits in 12 innings against the Cubs this season, per Sports Illustrated. Peterson has allowed two runs in each of his last two outings, the same source reported. Boyd threw six one-run innings against the Diamondbacks in his last outing, according to Sports Illustrated's September 1 preview.

Player Props and Predictions

Sports Illustrated has offered specific prop bets for Brewers players in the series. For the September 2 game, William Contreras was featured with OVER 1.5 bases at +115. Contreras is 23 for 56 (.411) with two home runs and seven doubles in his last 14 games, and he has gone over 1.5 bases in 10 of those contests, including each of his last four. In the series, he is 3 for 7 with three doubles, and he is batting .281 against left-handed pitchers on the season.

For the September 1 game, Andrew Vaughn was highlighted with OVER 1.5 hits plus runs plus RBIs at -129. Vaughn is batting .285 against righties and .351 against lefties, and he has gone over 1.5 HRR in his last three starts, four of five, and seven of his last nine games, at a 53% clip on the season, per Sports Illustrated.

Sports Illustrated's betting column, Walk-Off Wagers, selected the Brewers at -162 for the September 2 game, noting that Misiorowski has routinely gone at least six innings with three or fewer runs allowed. For September 1, the pick was the over 10 runs at -113, based on both teams' recent scoring trends and the expected warm night at Wrigley Field with light winds blowing out.

Betting Promotions and Responsible Gambling

The New York Post promoted the BetMGM bonus code POSTBET, which offers new users up to $1,500 back in bonus bets if their first bet doesn't win. The promotion is available to users 21 and older in participating states, with bonus bets being non-withdrawable. Sports Illustrated referenced a DraftKings promotion offering $100 in bonus bets with a $5 bet yielding $150.

Both outlets included responsible gambling resources, such as 1-800-GAMBLER.