The Chicago Cubs host the Seattle Mariners on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2:20 PM ET. This is the first of a three-game interleague series and marks the start of a 10-game road trip for Seattle.
Seattle just dropped a home series to Boston and begins a stretch of 17 games in 17 days. The Cubs are coming off a 7-8 loss to Milwaukee and remain atop the NL Central. These teams last met in spring training when the Cubs won 9-8.
CHC Preview – Boyd Backed by Power Bats
Chicago enters the game at 46-31 and 24-13 at home. They split a short two-game set with the Brewers and continue to hit for power. On Thursday, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson, and Ian Happ each homered in a close loss.
Crow-Armstrong became the first player in Cubs history with 20 home runs and 20 steals before the All-Star break. He reached the mark in just 73 games and now has 23 stolen bases. He leads a Cubs team that ranks in the top 10 in home runs and OPS.
Matthew Boyd (6-3, 2.79 ERA) starts for the Cubs. The lefty has been sharp in his last six outings, posting a 2.80 ERA and a 3-1 record in that span. Boyd last faced Seattle in 2023 when he gave up six runs in just 1.1 innings while with Detroit.
SEA Preview – Kirby Looks to Keep Improving
The Mariners are 42-36 overall and 17-21 on the road. They lost two of three to the Red Sox earlier this week and are starting a long road stretch with series against the Cubs, Twins, and Rangers. Seattle has gone 17-13 over its last 30 games.
George Kirby (1-3, 5.96 ERA) gets the ball for Seattle. After a rough start to the year, he’s allowed two runs in each of his last three outings. He’s never faced the Cubs before. Kyle Tucker and Justin Turner have faced him in past interleague matchups and are a combined 5-for-22 with 12 strikeouts.
Cal Raleigh leads the Mariners with 27 home runs through 71 games. That’s the second-most by a catcher before the All-Star break in MLB history. He also has 8 stolen bases, breaking the team’s single-season record for a catcher. Raleigh leads a lineup that averages 4.28 runs per game.
Betting Prediction
The Cubs are slight -123 favorites on the moneyline, with the Mariners at +113. The total is set at 8.5. Chicago has been profitable at home and has hit the first five innings moneyline in 34 of 68 games. Seattle trends toward the over in full-game and F5 team totals on the road.
Boyd has the edge over Kirby based on recent form and consistency. The Cubs’ offense has more weapons, and they’ve hit well at Wrigley. Seattle’s bullpen has been reliable, but if Boyd goes deep again, the Cubs can control this one. Final score prediction: Cubs 5, Mariners 3.
Pick: Cubs -123
