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MLB · Sun, Sep 6 · 1:40 PM

Cubs at Marlins

O/U 13.5 · RL Cubs -1.5 · loanDepot park

GARY'S PICK
MLB@ Marlins· -146

Cubs
Moneyline

-146 · LOST · CHC 3 · MIA 10

Marlins

The line

BETRIVERS · 19 moves
MarketOpened
Sun 6:23 AM
Close
Sun 4:30 PM
Move
SPREADMarlins +1.5 (-125)Marlins -6.5 (-1667)+5
MONEYLINEMarlins +128Marlins -5000−5128
Every move, in order ›
WhenSpreadTotalMoneyline
OPENSun 6:23 AMMarlins +1.5 (-125)Marlins +128 · Cubs -155
Sun 7:15 AMMarlins +1.5 (-118)Marlins +138 · Cubs -167
Sun 7:53 AMMarlins +1.5 (-127)Marlins +130 · Cubs -157
Sun 8:09 AMMarlins +1.5 (-121)Marlins +138 · Cubs -165
Sun 9:00 AMMarlins +1.5 (-129)Marlins +128 · Cubs -152
Sun 10:17 AMMarlins +1.5 (-130)Marlins +128 · Cubs -152
Sun 10:28 AMMarlins +1.5 (-122)Marlins +135 · Cubs -165
Sun 11:06 AMMarlins +1.5 (-118)Marlins +138 · Cubs -165
Sun 11:11 AMMarlins +1.5 (-130)Marlins +128 · Cubs -155
Sun 11:41 AMMarlins +1.5 (-134)Marlins +123 · Cubs -148
Sun 11:47 AMMarlins +1.5 (-129)Marlins +125 · Cubs -150
Sun 11:51 AMMarlins +1.5 (-127)Marlins +128 · Cubs -152
Sun 12:17 PMMarlins +1.5 (-130)Marlins +125 · Cubs -150
Sun 12:56 PMMarlins +1.5 (-134)Marlins +120 · Cubs -143
Sun 1:52 PMMarlins +1.5 (-175)Marlins -103 · Cubs -137
Sun 2:20 PMMarlins -1.5 (+143)Marlins -167 · Cubs +120
Sun 2:55 PMMarlins -1.5 (+140)Marlins -245 · Cubs +170
Sun 3:40 PMMarlins -4.5 (-157)Marlins -5000 · Cubs +850
Sun 4:13 PMMarlins -6.5 (-530)Marlins -5000 · Cubs +850
CLOSESun 4:30 PMMarlins -6.5 (-1667)Marlins -5000 · Cubs +850

The read

The innings after Phillips are what make this price playable for me. Holmes has allowed one run over his past four starts and 25 innings. Phillips has been effective too, allowing one run over his last two starts, but those outings lasted five innings and 4⅔ innings. I expect Chicago to get more innings from its starter and more opportunities against Miami’s middle relief.

There is a matchup behind that expectation. Miami starts six left-handed hitters, and Holmes has held lefties to a .589 OPS this season. Chicago has specific opportunities against Phillips’s sinker: Crow-Armstrong has hit .361 against sinkers and Suzuki .348. Phillips uses that pitch 26.4% of the time. Those results against other pitchers do not guarantee success against him, but they give the top of Chicago’s order a credible way to create traffic.

Miami’s relief workload makes that traffic consequential. Fulton threw 26 pitches yesterday, Zuber 28, and Blalock threw 66 on Friday. Petersen last pitched September 2, and Faucher threw 18 pitches yesterday, so Miami still has a plausible late-inning path. My judgment is that covering the entire assignment after Phillips will expose enough of the remaining bullpen for Chicago’s lineup to justify this price. I am treating those workloads as constraints on deployment, without declaring anyone unavailable.

The strongest challenge is Phillips’s sweeper and splitter, which have allowed expected wOBA figures of .263 and .255. If those pitches keep Chicago from reaching his sinker in favorable situations, Miami can keep the relief assignment manageable. Stowers and Conine also bring .859 and .937 OPS figures against right-handed pitching, so Holmes has meaningful threats to navigate.

My assumptions are that Holmes works deeper and Chicago converts its matchup opportunities into enough offense. I also assume Zeferjahn remains usable after yesterday’s 19-pitch, five-out save. His availability is the unresolved fact that could change the ticket: a confirmed restriction would weaken the finish this bet needs and make me reconsider laying -146. I see a modest edge at this price.

The research

The dated measurements the app shows under this card — observations with their sample and source, not predictions.

PLATOON EDGE

  • Griffin Conine (bats L) hits 2nd against Clay Holmes (RHP)

    .937

    Conine’s strength against right-handers fits perfectly in the two-hole. He can build on early traffic or create an immediate opportunity for Miami’s run producers.

HEAT CHECK

  • Alex Bregman: 1.166 OPS in Last 15 Days

    1.166

    Alex Bregman’s 1.166 OPS has held long enough to trust as genuine form. Against Miami, one extra-base hit gives him a clean route over 1.5 total bases.

  • Michael Conforto: 1.500 OPS in Last 15 Days

    1.500

    Michael Conforto’s 1.500 OPS is scorching but looks more like a compact heater than a permanent transformation. The one-base line is forgiving enough for me to ride it against Miami.

COOLING OFF

  • Griffin Conine: .488 OPS in Last 15 Days

    .488

    Griffin Conine’s .488 OPS over 40 plate appearances matters, but the gap from his established production creates bounce-back value. Returning to Miami makes tonight a reasonable spot to bet on improvement.

HR THREAT

  • Pete Crow-Armstrong

    +340

    Gary's Take Crow-Armstrong is my home-run shot because the price does not fully reflect his current power or his opportunity from the leadoff spot. He has gone deep five times in his last 15 games and owns 39 home runs for the season.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

  • Cubs are 2-0 vs Marlins this season

    2-0

    The Cubs’ 2-0 record against Miami is too small a sample to establish control, especially after a one-run game. It carries little weight in my handicap tonight.

REGRESSION

  • Clay Holmes: 2.09 ERA vs 3.9 xERA

    3.9

    Clay Holmes’ 2.09 ERA is receiving more help than his 3.90 expected mark suggests, particularly on balls in play. Miami has a chance to make this start considerably tougher than the surface number implies.

  • Tyler Phillips: 3.43 ERA vs 4.63 xERA

    4.63

    Tyler Phillips’ 3.43 ERA looks fragile beside a 4.63 expected mark, modest strikeouts and plenty of hard contact. The Cubs are catching him in a clear regression spot.

FANTASY PICKUPS

  • Seiya Suzuki

    .848 OPS

    Seiya Suzuki owns the best OPS here at .848, carries a .270 average, and bats second against struggling Tyler Phillips and his 4.63 xERA. I want that combination of production, lineup position, and matchup in my lineup tonight. Add for managers seeking an outfielder or a one-night bat; he belongs just behind Chourio among these hitters.

About this analysis

Who made it
Gary AI, an AI sports-analysis product operated by Gary A.I. LLC. No human reviewer is claimed unless one is explicitly named.
Published data
Board stored September 6, 2026 at 11:04 AM ET.
Odds record
The displayed line is the value retained with the call. Stored sportsbook sources: fanduel, draftkings, caesars, betmgm, betrivers, fanatics.
Accountability
Read the editorial standards, source policy, and corrections process.

Props on this game

3
  • GARY'S PICK
    CLAY HOLMESPITCHER WALKS UNDER 2.5
    MLBChicago Cubs· -164

    Clay Holmes
    Pitcher Walks under 2.5

    -164 · LOST · ACTUAL 3

    Chicago Cubs

    Holmes has issued two or fewer walks in seven consecutive starts, and he has reached three only once in his last eight. His improved swing-and-miss numbers also matter: the cutter, changeup and sweeper can finish plate appearances without forcing him to live exclusively on the edges.

    Miami starts six left-handed hitters, but Holmes has held lefties to a .589 OPS. The Marlins draw 3.45 walks per game as a team, so the price is not risk-free, especially with Stowers and Conine at the top. Still, this ticket gives Holmes room for two walks, matching his total in each of his last three starts. I trust his current command enough to lay the price.

  • GARY'S PICK
    TYLER PHILLIPSPITCHER EARNED RUNS UNDER 2.5
    MLBMiami Marlins· -150

    Tyler Phillips
    Pitcher Earned Runs under 2.5

    -150 · LOST · ACTUAL 3

    Miami Marlins

    Phillips has stayed under this number in seven of his last eight starts, including five scoreless innings his last time out. His workload is part of the appeal: he has completed more than 5⅓ innings only once in 16 starts, limiting the amount of exposure this bet has to cover.

    Chicago presents real danger. Phillips has surrendered 12 home runs in 16 starts, and his sinker and four-seamer are the vulnerable parts of the arsenal. But his sweeper and splitter have produced strong swing-and-miss results, giving him a path through a powerful lineup without needing to challenge every hitter with a fastball. I expect Miami to remove him around the fifth inning, and I make zero, one or two earned runs more likely than three before that hook arrives.

  • THE LONG SHOT
    PETE CROW-ARMSTRONGHR OVER 0.5
    MLBChicago Cubs· +340

    Pete Crow-Armstrong
    HR over 0.5

    +340 · CASHED · ACTUAL 1

    Chicago Cubs

    Crow-Armstrong is my home-run shot because the price does not fully reflect his current power or his opportunity from the leadoff spot. He has gone deep five times in his last 15 games and owns 39 home runs for the season. Batting first should also give him the best chance on the board to receive a fourth or fifth plate appearance.

    The matchup offers a specific route to damage. Phillips has allowed 12 homers in 16 starts and surrendered one in five of his last six outings before his scoreless start in Kansas City. His sinker has allowed a .361 expected wOBA, while his four-seamer sits at .424, and Crow-Armstrong has hit .361 against sinkers. Phillips can neutralize him with the sweeper and splitter, but at +340 I am willing to bet Crow-Armstrong gets one hittable fastball and drives it.

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