Brewers vs Cubs Odds, Lines and Spread (May 30)
- The Brewers visit the Cubs on Monday in a Memorial Day split doubleheader
- Both Game 1 starters will make their MLB debuts: Milwaukee lefty Ethan Small and Chicago’s Matt Swarmer
- A look at the odds and matchups can be found below with a prediction
A Memorial Day doubleheader kicks off a four-game series between the National League East-leading Milwaukee Brewers and host Chicago Cubs on Monday at Wrigley Field.
The first game of the split twinbill is set for 1:05 p.m. ET and the nightcap will start at 7:40 p.m. ET.
The Brewers (30-18/16-12 road) have won four of their last five games, including beating the Cardinals 8-0 on Sunday in St. Louis. The Cubs (19-27/7-15 home) fell for the third time in four games when they lost to the White Sox 5-4 in 12 innings Sunday on the road.
Brewers vs Cubs Odds Game 1
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers | -115 | -1.5 (+130) | Over 11 (+100) |
| Chicago Cubs | -105 | +1.5 (-150) | Under 11 (-120) |
Odds as of May 29th at Caesars.
The Brewers’ World Series odds are +1000 and the Cardinals are listed at +3500.
The weather forecast calls for a warm afternoon on the North Side with a high of 90 degrees, sunny skies and a south wind at 15-20 mph and gusts to 30 mph.
Game 1 Probable Pitchers
In the first game, both starting pitchers will be making their major league debuts as Brewers left-hander Ethan Small faces Cubs right-hander Matt Swarmer. Small will be pitching on five days of rest and Swarmer on seven.
Game 1: Small vs Swarmer
| 0-0 | Record | 0-0 |
| — | ERA | — |
| — | xERA | — |
| — | WHIP | — |
| — | SO/W | — |
Small was 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in eight starts at Triple-A Nashville this season.
Small’s last outing came last Tuesday at Toledo, and he did not factor in the decision while giving up one unearned run on four hits in 5.2 innings. He struck out five and walked three.
More shutdown stuff from Ethan Small, who logged 7 strikeouts over 6 scoreless innings this weekend, allowing just 1 hit.
For the season: 13.1 IP, 18 K, 5 H, 1 ER pic.twitter.com/aelHNsGVJL
— Brewers Player Development (@BrewersPD) April 20, 2022
The 25-year-old was the Brewers’ first-round draft pick in 2019 from Mississippi State. In 33 career games in the minor leagues, Small has a 7-5 record and 1.78 ERA.
Swarmer made five starts and four relief appearances with Triple-A Iowa. He compiled a 3-1 record and 2.08 ERA.
Swarmer’s last appearance came May 21 as a starter against Columbus. He worked five innings and allowed two runs, three hits and two walks while striking out three.
Congratulations to Matt Swarmer for getting the call to Chicago!
Cc: @IowaCubs @Cubs pic.twitter.com/gD3Lot22DD
— Dylan Heuer (@dylan_heuer) May 29, 2022
The Cubs’ 19th-round draft pick in 2016 from Kutztown University, a Division II school in Pennsylvania, Swarmer has a career mark of 32-34 with a 4.40 ERA in 116 games in the minors, including 91 starts.
Brewers vs Cubs Odds Game 2
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers | -135 | -1.5 (+120) | Over 10.5 (-115) |
| Chicago Cubs | +115 | +1.5 (-140) | Under 10.5 (-105) |
Odds as of May 30th at Caesars.
The wind will continue to blow from the south for the second game and gametime temperature is expected to be 86 degrees.
Game 2 Probable Pitchers
Aaron Ashby (0-3, 2.91) will start for the Brewers in Game 2 against Drew Smyly (2-5, 4.08 in a matchup of left-handers. Ashby will be pitching on four days of rest and Smyly on six.
Game 2: Ashby vs Smyly
| 0-3 | Record | 2-5 |
| 2.91 | ERA | 4.08 |
| 3.09 | xERA | 4.31 |
| 1.35 | WHIP | 1.34 |
| 1.95 | SO/W | 3.44 |
Ashby will be making his fifth start and 11th appearance of the season. He started in his last game, Wednesday against the Padres in San Diego, and had a no-decision in which he allowed one unearned run and four hits in 5.2 innings while striking out five and walking three.
Ashby is 1-1 with a 6.14 against the Cubs in his career in four games (two starts). At Wrigley Field, he has an 0-1 record and 2.45 ERA in two games (one start).
Aaron Ashby, Sick 82mph Breaking Ball…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/WVBiChEWpp
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 25, 2022
The road has presented problems for Ashby this season as he is 0-3 with a 3.71 ERA in seven games (three starts). He is 0-2 in the day with a 2.78 ERA in six games (three starts).
Smyly ended a five-start losing streak last Monday by beating the Reds at Cincinnati. He pitched 5.2 innings and surrendered three runs and four hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
Smyly has won his lone career start against the Brewers, pitching six shutout innings last season while playing for the Atlanta Braves. The lefty is 0-3 with a 5.93 ERA in three starts at Wrigley Field in 2022 but 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA in three starts during the day.
Drew Smyly 🤝 K prop Unders
Get @VmoneySports' full Edge of the Day breakdown: https://t.co/Le09it3MCm pic.twitter.com/0RZpKxqrFw
— NBC Sports Bet (@NBCSportsBet) May 23, 2022
The Brewers’ Lorenzo Cain is 5-for-13 (.385) with a home run off Smyly and Andrew McCutchen is 3-for-10 (.300) with two homers.
Brewers vs Cubs Betting Outlook
Jace Peterson sparked the Brewers on Sunday with a three-run home run in the fifth inning that pushed Milwaukee’s lead to 4-0 on the way to the 8-0 victory.
Lorenzo Cain and Rowdy Tellez also homered for the Brewers. Omar Narvaez had three hits.
Jace with a three-run 💣 to extend the lead!#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/W5TyBCy3RM
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 29, 2022
The Cubs had a frustrating loss Sunday as they blew a 1-0 lead in the ninth inning, a 3-1 lead in the 10th and a 4-3 advantage in the 11th before falling in 12 innings.
The Cubs managed just five hits.
Cubs right-handed reliever Chris Martin will miss the doubleheader after being placed on the bereavement list Sunday.
Rookie right fielder Seiya Suzuki is questionable after missing two games with a sprained left ring finger. At +165, Suzuki is the favorite in the NL Rookie of the Year odds.
The Cubs will call up outfielder Nelson Velazquez from Iowa, where he hit .214 with three home runs in 19 games. He was the Arizona Fall League MVP last year.
⚠️CAN’T. BE. STOPPED.⚠️
Nelson Velazquez destroys his league leading 9th homer of the season. The @cubs prospect is shooting you the tannings ⬆️ @MLBPipeline @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/96kLpub5Ny
— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) November 12, 2021
The teams have split six games this season with the Brewers winning two of three at Wrigley Field. Rowdy Tellez has gone 6-for-15 (.400) with a double and two home runs for Milwaukee while the Cubs’ Ian Happ is 6-for-16 (.375) with two doubles.
Brewers vs Cubs Last 10 Games
| Date | Home Team | Away Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/1/22 | Brewers | Cubs | CHC, 2-0 |
| 4/30/22 | Brewers | Cubs | MIL, 9-1 |
| 4/29/22 | Brewers | Cubs | MIL, 11-1 |
| 4/10/22 | Cubs | Brewers | MIL, 5-4 |
| 4/9/22 | Cubs | Brewers | CHC, 9-0 |
| 4/7/22 | Cubs | Brewers | CHC, 5-4 |
| 9/19/21 | Brewers | Cubs | CHC, 6-4 |
| 9/18/21 | Brewers | Cubs | MIL, 6-4 |
| 9/17/21 | Brewers | Cubs | MIL, 8-5 |
| 8/12/21 | Cubs | Brewers | MIL, 17-4 |
Brewers vs Cubs Predictions
Let’s go with the Brewers to pull the sweep at Wrigley Field, where the Cubs have struggled all season. Small has the pedigree of being a first-round pick and Ashby is coming off a fine outing.
Picks: Brewers Game 1 ML (-115), Brewers Game 2 ML (-135)
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
