It’s a brisk Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, and the stage is set for a classic showdown as the New York Mets open a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. First pitch is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET, and the buzz in Chicago is palpable as the Cubs, riding a wave of offensive momentum, look to deepen the Mets’ woes. The Mets, meanwhile, are desperate to snap an eight-game losing streak that’s left them reeling in the early days of the 2026 MLB season.
Let’s not sugarcoat it—the Mets have had a rough go of it lately. Swept by both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics in their previous series, New York enters this matchup with a 7-12 record, dead last in the NL East and already five games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves. The Cubs aren’t exactly flying high in the NL Central either, sitting at 9-9 and last in their division, but they’re just 1.5 games off a crowded top spot and have shown signs of life with recent wins.
The Cubs’ offense has been red-hot, averaging 8.8 runs per game over their last four contests, including back-to-back outbursts of 11 and 10 runs against the Phillies. That’s music to the ears of Cubs fans, especially with right-hander Edward Cabrera set to take the mound. Cabrera, acquired in an offseason trade from the Marlins, has been nothing short of stellar in his first three starts for Chicago. He boasts a 1-0 record, a sparkling 1.62 ERA, and has allowed just 10 hits and zero home runs over 16.2 innings. Sure, he’s issued nine walks, but his ability to keep hitters off-balance has been a key to the Cubs’ recent success. According to Covers.com, Cabrera has held opponents to a .175 batting average and a .250 wOBA so far this season.
On the flip side, the Mets are sending Kodai Senga to the hill, hoping the right-hander can rediscover his 2025 form. Senga’s 2026 campaign has been rocky—he’s 0-2 with a 7.07 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP in 14 innings, having surrendered 17 hits, two home runs, and seven walks. His last outing was especially tough: seven earned runs in just 2⅓ innings against the Athletics, ballooning his ERA from 3.09 to its current mark. Still, there’s a silver lining—Senga’s underlying 3.43 xFIP suggests some positive regression may be on the horizon, as noted by Neil Parker at Covers.com. The Mets need that turnaround now more than ever.
New York’s offensive struggles are glaring. The Mets have managed just 12 runs during their eight-game skid and are missing two of their biggest bats: Juan Soto, sidelined with a calf injury, and Pete Alonso, who departed in the offseason. That duo accounted for a whopping 207 runs and 231 RBIs in 2025. Without them, the Mets have plummeted to 28th in MLB in weighted on-base average against right-handed pitchers. To make matters worse, they rank dead last in xwOBA and ISO through 11 games since Soto’s injury.
Manager Carlos Mendoza is shaking things up in the lineup, moving Francisco Lindor down to third in the batting order and giving Carson Benge the leadoff spot—a role Lindor had held for all but one game last season. According to the New York press, it’s the first time since August 5, 2025, that Lindor has not led off. Mendoza hopes the change will spark some offense and help the Mets break out of their team-wide slump.
The Cubs, meanwhile, are relatively healthy aside from a handful of pitchers on the injured list, including Matthew Boyd, Porter Hodge, Hunter Harvey, and Justin Steele. The Mets’ injury woes are deeper, with not just Soto but also Jared Young, A.J. Minter, Joey Gerber, Dedniel Nunez, Tylor Megill, Justin Hagenman, and Reed Garrett all sidelined.
For fans tracking individual performances, Chicago’s Nico Hoerner has quietly put together an impressive start, with two home runs, 18 RBIs (fourth in MLB), 12 runs scored, and a perfect six-for-six on stolen bases in 83 plate appearances. Dansby Swanson has chipped in with four homers, 11 RBIs, and a .200/.347/.417 slash line, while Luis Robert has added two homers and seven RBIs. On the Mets’ side, Francisco Alvarez has shown some pop with four home runs and a .271/.386/.542 line, but the supporting cast has been inconsistent at best.
Betting markets have responded accordingly. The Cubs are favored across major sportsbooks, with moneylines ranging from -149 to -157 and run lines at -1.5 (+130 to +142). The over/under sits at 10.5 runs, but most models—including SportsLine’s, which simulated the game 10,000 times—project the total to go under. In fact, the under has hit in eight of the Mets’ last 13 away games and in five straight against NL Central opponents. SportsLine’s model gives the under a 66% chance of coming through, projecting just 9.3 combined runs.
Player props are also drawing attention, particularly for Cubs hitters. According to Hard Rock Bet, the five most-bet props by ticket count are all Chicago home run bets: Michael Busch, Moises Ballesteros, Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, and Alex Bregman each to go deep. That’s a testament to both the Cubs’ recent offensive surge and Senga’s struggles on the mound.
For those tuning in, the game will be broadcast on WPIX and Marquee, with streaming available through MLB.TV and Fubo. Wrigley Field is sure to be buzzing, and both fan bases are hungry for a win—albeit for very different reasons. The Cubs are looking to keep pace in a tightly packed NL Central, while the Mets are simply desperate to stop the bleeding and get their season back on track.
As the first pitch approaches, all eyes are on whether the Mets can finally break their skid or if the Cubs’ bats will continue to light up the scoreboard. With Cabrera dealing and the Mets’ lineup in flux, Chicago appears to have the edge on paper. But as baseball fans know all too well, anything can happen at the Friendly Confines—especially when two teams with something to prove square off under the afternoon sun.
With the action about to unfold, one thing’s for sure: this opening game at Wrigley Field is packed with storylines, and both squads will be looking to set the tone for the weekend. Stay tuned for what promises to be an intriguing battle in the Windy City.