Giants vs Cubs Odds and Betting Lines (Sep. 10)

• The San Francisco Giants are road favorites over the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon
• The Cubs send Kyle Hendricks (14-6, 4.65) to the mound, while the Giants will go with a bullpen game
• The odds and pitching matchups can be found below with a prediction

The San Francisco Giants — fresh off a three-game sweep of the Rockies in Colorado and winners in five of their last six games — take on the Chicago Cubs at 2:20 pm ET in the first game of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.

The Giants enter the series with the best record in baseball at 90-50 and seem to have righted the ship after narrowly avoiding losing three straight series for the first time all season thanks to taking two of three at home against the arch rival Dodgers. San Francisco took three of four from the Cubs at Oracle Park when these two teams got together in June earlier this season and, even though it will be a bullpen game, San Fran is favored on the road Friday.

Giants vs Cubs Odds

Odds as of September 9th at FanDuel.

Probable Pitchers

On the mound, Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks (14-6, 4.65) will face a variety of Giants arms.

Hendricks has been the leader of a Cubs rotation that has weathered plenty of ups and downs in 2021. His 14 wins are eight more than the next-closest starter in manager David Ross’ rotation and his 160.2 innings pitched are 21 more than Zach Davies. In 28 starts, Hendricks has tossed 18 quality starts and has gone into at least the seventh inning eight times in 2021.

The 2016 ERA title winner has been especially sharp against the Giants over his career, sporting a 5-2 mark with a 2.37 ERA in nine starts. The Professor has also been elite at home, going 42-24 with a 2.94 ERA in 102 all-time appearances (101 starts) at The Friendly Confines.

After Alex Wood tested positive for COVID-19 (and reportedly had significant symptoms) and Johnny Cueto was lost indefinitely with an elbow strain, the Orange and Black have been forced to go with a bunch of arms in what had been the respective starters’ rotation turns. While Wood’s return is approaching, manager Gabe Kapler is still going to the ‘pen for this one. With that in mind, let’s look at Hendricks’ stats and highlight a few of the Giants’ options.

Kyle Hendricks Key Stats

The 31-year-old has scuffled in his last two outings, failing to get out of the fifth inning on either occasion. He’s 0-1 in those turns (against the White Sox and Pirates) with an awful 14.00 ERA. One encouraging note: the Cubs have gone 17-11 in games Hendricks has started this season.

The right-hander is 6-4 with a 5.56 ERA in 15 home starts this season. In 14 day game starts in 2021, he’s 6-4 with a 5.08 ERA.

Only three qualified SP with a walk rate under 5% since the beginning of the 2020 season.

Two of them you could probably guess…

3. Zack Greinke 4.5%
2. Kyle Hendricks 4.3%

The lowest rate over that span is 4% and belongs to:

🔥Nathan Eovaldi 🔥

— Vlad Sedler (@RotoGut) September 4, 2021

As for the Giants, Kapler’s crew had mixed results in the first round of Bullpen Ball against LA last weekend. Jay Jackson got roughed up in the first inning of an eventual 6-1 loss Saturday. But following Jackson’s 22-pitch effort (in which he allowed three earned runs in only 0.1 IP), seven relievers followed to only give up one more earned run the rest of the way. Then, Sunday, nine pitchers saw action in a 6-4 win and San Fran beat Walker Buehler for the first time ever.

Two bullpen days against the Dodgers followed by a three-game series at Coors to close that stretch out. That would have melted other Giants teams into goo.

Fine, I'll say it, I think this team has a chance to reach the postseason. https://t.co/ic3VGasG0i

— Grant Brisbee (@GrantBrisbee) September 8, 2021

Tale of Two Seasons

With the Giants coming into Friday’s tilt 40 games over .500, the Cubs enter with a 65-76 record and are in full-fledged rebuild mode. But don’t tell Ross’ club that — as Chicago has won six of its first seven games on the homestand that closes out with the Giants.

Ian Happ last 24 games 🔥

33-89 (.371), 7 2B, 10 HR, 5 BB, 1.191 OPS@thecompoundpod pic.twitter.com/1SZ6ifNVUy

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 9, 2021

Ian Happ and Frank Schwindel have been scorching over the last six games, in particular. The pair have combined to go 23-for-49 (.469( at the plate and smash six home runs and drive in a whopping 15 runs in that stretch. Whomever is on the mound for the Giants Friday needs to pay close attention to the dynamic duo.