MLB Game Preview: New York Mets (7-14) vs. Chicago Cubs (11-9)

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First Pitch: 11:20 AM CT

Venue: Wrigley Field — Chicago, Illinois Weather: 46°F, cool and breezy Chicago morning

Injury Report

New York Mets

Nate Lavender — 7‑Day IL (Apr 19)

Brandon Waddell — 7‑Day IL (Apr 19)

Juan Soto — 10‑Day IL (Apr 21)

Jorge Polanco — 10‑Day IL (Apr 25)

Joey Gerber — 15‑Day IL (Apr 29)

Chicago Cubs

Jaxon Wiggins — 7‑Day IL (Apr 19)

Trent Thornton — 7‑Day IL (Apr 19)

Jeff Brigham — 7‑Day IL (Apr 21)

Matthew Boyd — 15‑Day IL (Apr 22)

Jordan Wicks — 15‑Day IL (Apr 22)

Team Records & Season Profile

New York Mets (7–14)

Team AVG: .228

Runs: 71

Hits: 163

HR: 15

OBP: .293

SLG: .339

ERA: 4.22

WHIP: 1.29

Chicago Cubs (11–9)

Team AVG: .252

Runs: 110

Hits: 172

HR: 24

OBP: .343

SLG: .402

ERA: 3.74

WHIP: 1.19

Recent Team Form

Mets — Last 5

L 4–2 @ CHC

L 12–4 @ CHC

L 8–2 @ LAD

L 2–1 @ LAD

L 4–0 @ LAD Streak: L10 overall

Cubs — Last 5

W 4–2 vs NYM

W 12–4 vs NYM

W 11–2 @ PHI

W 10–4 @ PHI

L 13–7 @ PHI Streak: W4

Probable Pitching Matchup

NYM — Tobias Myers (RHP)

Record: 0–1

ERA: 3.46

WHIP: 0.77

IP: 13.0

K/BB: 9 K / 1 BB

HR Allowed: 2

CHC — Javier Assad (RHP)

Record: 1–1

ERA: 8.10

WHIP: 1.60

IP: 10.0

K/BB: 6 K / 4 BB

HR Allowed: 2

Matchup Predictor: Cubs 57.4% vs Mets 42.6%

Key Player Matchups

New York Mets

Francisco Alvarez: .273 AVG, 4 HR, .509 SLG

Bo Bichette: 9 RBI, .227 AVG

Luis Robert Jr.: .300 AVG (team leader)

Chicago Cubs

Ian Happ: 6 HR, 11 RBI

Nico Hoerner: .325 AVG, 20 RBI, .402 OBP

Shota Imanaga: 20 K (team pitching leader)

Series History & Context

Cubs lead the current series 2–0 (12–4 and 4–2 wins).

Mets enter on a 10‑game losing streak, struggling heavily on the road.

Cubs have won 4 straight, including dominant offensive performances.

Betting Trends

Mets: 3.4 runs/game (27th MLB), bullpen save rate 50%

Cubs: 4.6 runs/game, strong home performance (6–5)

Cubs offense significantly hotter: 110 runs vs Mets’ 71

Game Odds

New York Mets                 8.5

Chicago Cubs                     – 131

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, April 18, 2026