San Diego are tipped to take a 1-0 lead in this playoff series.
The Padres lost all but one regular season meeting with the Cubs, but they go into this matchup as one of the hottest teams in the postseason, while the visitors cooled off during the final several weeks of the regular season.
Key Numbers – Will Padres Make It 19 Wins In 22 Games?
- San Diego Padres have won 18 of their last 21 games
- San Diego Padres have won 12 of their last 14 home games
- Chicago Cubs have lost 11 of their last 20 games
- The Over cashed in 5 of the 6 regular season meetings
Cubs Lead All-Time Head-To-Head; Won Last Meeting
- Chicago Cubs lead the all-time series 294-244
- Chicago Cubs won 23-3 when the two teams last met on July 1
Chicago Cubs Form – Cubs Finished 2nd In NL Central
Chicago booked their place in the playoffs by finishing second in the NL Central – 14 games behind division winners Milwaukee.
The Cubs closed out the regular season with back-to-back wins, but their form has been mixed in recent weeks with nine wins and seven defeats in their last 16 games.
| W | L | PCT | RUN DIFF. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89 | 73 | .549 | +147 |
San Diego Padres Form – Padres Were NL West Runners-Up
San Diego put up 91 wins in the regular season, but that was only enough for second place in the NL West, with Los Angeles finishing nine games clear.
The Padres go into this series in fantastic form, having won 18 of their final 21 regular season games.
| W | L | PCT | RUN DIFF. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | 71 | .562 | +41 |
Projected Starting Pitchers
| Player | Team | Record | ERA | Strikeouts | Innings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Boyd | Chicago Cubs | 10-5 | 3.91 | 96 | 126.2 |
| Michael King | San Diego Padres | 12-10 | 3.21 | 159 | 185.0 |