The Cubs' magic number is one to clinch a playoff berth, and they’ll be in a great spot to accomplish that on their home field tonight. Starting things off for Chicago will be Kevin Gausman, who enters with a 9-12 record and a 4.55 ERA. For the Marlins, they’ll counter with Ryan Gusto, who enters with a 1-5 record and a 4.14 ERA. The last time Gusto faced the Cubs back on September 5, he allowed five runs and 10 hits over just 4.2 innings.
The Cubs let last night's game slip away in extra innings, surrendering six runs in the top of the 12th. With that game behind them, Chicago will look to bounce back and keep its offense rolling. The Cubs are averaging 5.7 runs per game with a .262 batting average over their last 10 games, compared to 4.6 runs and a .244 average for the Marlins. While Gausman hasn’t been elite since joining the Cubs, I like him in this spot. He can generate plenty of swings and misses and has excellent control, and he should have an opportunity to settle in against a Miami lineup that hasn’t been nearly as productive as Chicago’s. The Cubs have plenty to play for with a playoff spot within reach, while Miami is simply playing out the final games of the season. Look for the Cubs to bounce back at home, take care of business and clinch an NL Wild Card spot.
Marlins vs Cubs prediction: Cubs ML (-175) available at time of publishing. Playable up to -180.
