Blue Jays vs Cubs MLB Predictions, Odds & Best Bets (8/16)

Friday, Aug. 16’s MLB schedule begins at 2:20 p.m. ET when the Toronto Blue Jays (57-64) and Chicago Cubs (59-63) begin a three-game series at Wrigley Field.

This Blue Jays vs. Cubs preview has everything you need to prepare for this afternoon’s festivities, including the latest MLB odds and my predictions for the upcoming showdown.

2024 MLB Betting Picks Record: 74-88-1 (45.7%)

MLB Betting Today: Blue Jays vs Cubs (8/16)

Blue Jays vs Cubs Game Information

Matchup: Toronto Blue Jays (57-64, 28-33 Away) vs. Chicago Cubs (59-63, 32-27 Home)
Venue & Location: Wrigley Field (Chicago, IL)
Date: Friday, Aug. 16, 2024
Game Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
How to Watch Blue Jays vs. Cubs: MLB.TV, Fubo, Apple TV+

Blue Jays vs Cubs MLB Probable Pitchers

Blue Jays: Yariel Rodriguez (12 starts — 1-5, 3.60 ERA)
Cubs: Kyle Hendricks (21 games/16 starts — 3-10, 6.60 ERA)

Cubs vs Blue Jays MLB Odds & Spread

Cubs vs. Blue Jays MLB odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Friday, Aug. 16 at 9:42 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Blue Jays vs Cubs Run Line

Toronto Blue Jays +1.5 (-190)
Chicago Cubs -1.5 (+165)

Cubs vs Blue Jays Over/Under

Over 9.5 Runs (-116)
Under 9.5 Runs (-104)

Blue Jays vs Cubs Moneyline

Toronto Blue Jays (+103)
Chicago Cubs (-113)

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Blue Jays vs Cubs MLB Betting Trends

Toronto is 3-6 straight up in its last nine games vs. the Cubs.
The Cubs are 10-5 straight up in their last 15 games vs. the American League.
The total hit the Over in 11 of Toronto’s last 15 road games.
The total hit the Over in five of the Cubs’ last seven home games.

Blue Jays vs Cubs Predictions & MLB Picks Today (8/16)

These teams enter this afternoon’s contest heading in opposite directions lately.

The Blue Jays have played well over the last few weeks, playing to a 6-3 SU record in their last nine games which includes winning their last three games in a row by an average of 4.7 runs per outing. Having said that, Toronto hasn’t played since Wednesday, which could hurt the team given that it’s 5-10 SU when playing with exactly one day of rest this season.

Nevertheless, the Blue Jays have much more momentum than the Cubs at the moment. After a strong start to August, three consecutive losses to the Cleveland Guardians have brought them back down to earth. Chicago’s bats became quieter as the series went on, proven by it generating a combined two runs on 10 hits in the last two games.

The Cubs’ bats must wake up if they hope to defeat the Blue Jays on Friday.

Those losses came on the road, though. The Cubs now get to return to Wrigley Field, where they’ve won four of their last five encounters against the Blue Jays. It doesn’t really matter where these teams meet at the end of the day considering that Chicago is 6-3 SU in its nine previous meetings with Toronto.

Additionally, the Cubs are 21-13 SU (61.8%) against American League teams in 2024 whereas the Blue Jays own a 13-13 SU record (50.0%) against the National League.

It’ll be interesting to see how RHP Yariel Rodriguez performs when he takes the mound for the Blue Jays. On one hand, his 3.60 ERA and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings through his first 12 career starts are impressive. On the other hand, Rodriguez only owns a 1-5 record due to Toronto averaging just 3.6 runs per game in support.

It isn’t as if veteran RHP Kyle Hendricks has been pitching gems for the Cubs, though. He’s only 3-10 with a. 6.60 ERA on the season and has lost three of his last four appearances. It doesn’t help that he’s also 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two career starts against the Jays.

Can the Blue Jays take advantage of Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks’ season-long struggles?

I’m going to go with the Blue Jays pulling off the upset at Wrigley Field today. The Cubs are free-falling at the moment and can’t be trusted on either side of the plate until improvements are shown. Toronto’s Rodriguez is due for a win and I can see that happening today now that the Jays’ batters are beginning to pick up some steam.

As for the best Blue Jays vs. Cubs bet, you should back the Over on the 9.5-run total. I know that seems like a lot, but the Over is 11-4 in the Blue Jays’ last 15 road games (11.1 total runs per game) and 5-2 in the Cubs’ last seven home games (8.3 runs per game). With Toronto looking to maintain its momentum and Chicago aiming to turn things around, an elevated effort from both sides could produce a ton of fireworks.

Blue Jays vs. Cubs MLB Prediction: TOR wins

Best Blue Jays vs. Cubs Bet: o9.5 Total Runs (-116)

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Best Blue Jays vs Cubs MLB Player Prop (8/16)

Based on his recent performances, it’s hard not to like Kyle Hendricks o2.5 earned runs (-141) as today’s best Blue Jays vs. Cubs player prop.

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In his 21 appearances this season, Hendricks has surrendered the Over on this prop 11 times (52.3%). Three of those instances occurred in his last four games alone, a stretch where he’s allowed 14 earned runs and five homers across 21 innings — good for a 6.00 ERA. A 4.85 ERA in his last three home starts also suggests that even playing at Wrigley Field doesn’t give him a boost.

After the Blue Jays racked up nine runs against the Los Angeles Angels just a couple of nights ago, I’m expecting another shaky performance from the former NL Cy Young finalist.