San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, Wild Card Odds and Game 3 Picks for Today, 10/02/25

It’s a win-or-go-home game on Thursday afternoon as the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs square off in a decisive Game 3 at Wrigley Field. Neither offense has been lighting up the scoreboard this series, but with both teams set to face pitchers who have struggled at times this season, this matchup could finally see the offense come alive. 

Yu Darvish will get the ball for the Padres after going 5-5 with a 5.38 ERA in 15 starts this season. The Cubs counter with Jameson Taillon, who enters with a 11-7 record and a 3.68 ERA in 23 starts. Looking at this pitching matchup further, the Cubs have an edge on the mound. Taillon has found his groove, going 2-1 with a 0.95 ERA over his last 3 outings; Darvish has gone 2-0 but with a 4.30 ERA in that same stretch. Offensively, the Padres are averaging 5.1 runs per game with a .706 OPS in their last 10 games’ the Cubs are averaging 4.9 runs per game with a .756 OPS. With similar offensive numbers, the difference lies on the mound — and I expect Taillon should be able to handle business in Game 3. Look for Chicago to get to Darvish early and move on to the NLDS. 

Padres vs Cubs prediction: Chicago ML (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable at that price.

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