Justin Steele gets the start for the Cubs (60-56, 28-28 away) against Chris Bassitt and the Blue Jays (65-53, 30-25 home). Today will be game two of their series, with the Cubs leading 1-0. Check out who I like to see who comes out on top in today’s Chicago Cubs vs. Toronto Blue Jays matchup.

CHICAGO CUBS VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Cubs -102

This game will be played at Rogers Centre at 3:07 ET on Saturday, August 12th.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO CUBS:

  • In their last five games, the Cubs have a record of 3-2.
  • The Blue Jays head into the game having lost two straight matchups as the moneyline favorite.
  • In Justin Steele’s five most recent starts, the Cubs are 3-0.

CHICAGO CUBS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN NL CENTRAL

This season, the Cubs have played a total of 37 series and are above .500 at 19-14-4. On the road, Chicago is 28-28 and 32-28 at home. Their overall record of 60-56 has the Cubs sitting 3rd in the NL Central.

Justin Steele has been a reliable starter for the Cubs this season, boasting an impressive 13-3 record in 21 appearances. His ERA of 2.68 and K/9 figure of 8.4 have been key to his success, as well as his FIP of 3.20 and OBP of .288.

Justin Steele was victorious in his most recent outing, despite giving up four runs on eight hits to the Braves. The Cubs ultimately prevailed 6-4, granting the lefty pitcher his win for the season.

The Cubs have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 21 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 2nd best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 12th in home runs and 10th in slugging percentage. Overall, Chicago is averaging 5.1 runs per game (5th).

Cody Bellinger has been a major offensive contributor for the Cubs over their last five games, batting .438 and leading the team in hits. For the 2023 season, Bellinger is hitting an impressive .329 and has driven in 58 runs.

WILL THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Entering with a record of 65-53, the Blue Jays are in 3rd place in the AL East and are losers of two straight games. So far, they have a road win percentage of 55.6% compared to 54.5% at home. Toronto’s overall series record stands at 22-14-1.

Chris Bassitt has been a reliable presence in the rotation this season, boasting an 11-6 record and 3.87 ERA across 24 outings. His WHIP is 1.25 and opposing batters have managed to post a .304 OBP against him. The right-hander has also racked up 131 strikeouts compared to just 46 walks, but he has surrendered a home run in each of his last three starts.

Chris Bassitt’s last outing was a success, as he pitched seven innings and allowed just one run and seven hits in a 13-1 victory over the Red Sox. The right-hander earned his sixth win of the season with a quality start.

With a season-long average of 4.4 runs per game, the Blue Jays are the 16th ranked scoring offense this season. As a team, they are batting .260, with an OBP of .330. In Toronto’s last ten games, they are 12th in home runs, having gone deep 10 times in that span.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been one of the Blue Jays’ most consistent hitters in 2023, boasting a .265 batting average and driving in 69 runs. The slugger has also hit 18 home runs so far this season.