Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers Picks and Prediction for Friday June 26 2026

The Chicago Cubs visit the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, June 26, 2026, at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with first pitch scheduled for 7:45 PM ET and coverage available on Apple TV. Chicago enters at 43-37 overall and 20-20 away from home, while Milwaukee comes in at 49-29 overall and 25-15 at home. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free MLB picks.

Starting Pitchers Put Milwaukee in Focus

Chicago has not yet announced a starting pitcher for this matchup. Milwaukee is expected to start Jacob Misiorowski, who enters with an 8-3 record, a 1.45 ERA, a 0.75 WHIP, 93.0 innings pitched, 47 hits allowed, 138 strikeouts, 23 walks, and four home runs allowed. With only one listed starter in the provided data, Milwaukee has the clearer starting pitching profile entering this matchup.

Chicago Looks to Keep Its Bats Moving

Chicago enters with a 43-37 overall record and a 20-20 mark away from home. The Cubs have recently won over New York by scores of 10-5, 10-3, and 9-6, recently lost to Toronto 8-6, and recently won over Toronto 16-2. That gives Chicago four wins in its last five games, with the offense producing several high-scoring results during that stretch.

The Cubs are batting .244 with 395 runs, 667 hits, 95 home runs, a .338 on-base percentage, and a .406 slugging percentage. On the pitching side, Chicago has a 4.30 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, 245 walks, 629 strikeouts, and a .239 opponent batting average. The Cubs are also 17-17 in day games.

Chicago’s key strength is its offensive production. The Cubs have scored 395 runs and have the higher slugging percentage compared with Milwaukee, while also owning the same .338 on-base percentage. The concern is that Chicago’s pitching staff has a higher ERA and far fewer strikeouts than Milwaukee’s staff, which could matter against a home team with a stronger overall record.

Milwaukee Has the Stronger Overall Profile

Milwaukee enters this matchup with a 49-29 overall record and a 25-15 mark at home. The Brewers have recently won over Cincinnati by scores of 6-5, 2-0, and 2-1 in 10 innings, recently won over Atlanta 9-4, and recently lost to Atlanta 4-3. That gives Milwaukee four wins in its last five games, including four straight recent victories.

The Brewers are batting .254 with 407 runs, 672 hits, 70 home runs, a .338 on-base percentage, and a .391 slugging percentage. Milwaukee’s pitching staff owns a 3.38 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, 259 walks, 769 strikeouts, and a .220 opponent batting average. The Brewers are also 19-11 in day games.

Milwaukee’s biggest strength is run prevention. The Brewers have the lower ERA, lower WHIP, more strikeouts, and a much lower opponent batting average than Chicago. They also have more runs and hits despite fewer home runs, giving them a strong balance between offensive consistency and pitching control.

Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers Picks and Prediction

Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers Pick

• Pick: Milwaukee Brewers Moneyline

Milwaukee is the pick because the Brewers have the better overall record, stronger home record, and the matchup predictor gives them a 72.3 percent chance compared with 27.7 percent for Chicago. The Brewers also hold the edge in batting average, runs, hits, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, and opponent batting average. Chicago has been scoring well recently, but based only on the provided data, Milwaukee has the stronger full-game profile.

Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers Total Pick

• Pick: Take the under if the total is set at 8.5.

I would lean under if the total is set at 8.5 because Milwaukee’s pitching numbers are excellent, including a 3.38 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and .220 opponent batting average. The listed Milwaukee starter also enters with a 1.45 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. Chicago’s recent offense has been strong, but Milwaukee’s run prevention gives me enough reason to expect a more controlled game.

Final Score Prediction: Milwaukee Brewers 5 – Chicago Cubs 3

This prediction was written before the completion of game play on Thursday.