Minnesota Twins vs Chicago Cubs Picks and Prediction for Saturday, July 18, 2026
Use Code SSWC The Minnesota Twins visit the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday, July 18, 2026, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET. MLB.TV will provide coverage. Minnesota enters the matchup at 48-49 overall and 22-24 on the road, while Chicago is 54-42 overall and 27-19 at home. The matchup predictor gives the Twins a 40.4% chance to win and the Cubs a 59.6% probability. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free MLB picks.
Starting Pitchers
Taj Bradley is scheduled to start for Minnesota opposite Chicago left-hander Matthew Boyd. Bradley enters with a 9-3 record, 3.59 ERA, and 1.22 WHIP across 102.2 innings. He has allowed 85 hits and 15 home runs while recording 118 strikeouts against 40 walks. Boyd is 5-1 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.28 WHIP through 46 innings. He has surrendered 46 hits and five home runs, collecting 47 strikeouts while issuing 13 walks. Bradley has worked more than twice as many innings, while both starters have winning records.
Minnesota Brings a Productive Offense on the Road
Minnesota enters this game one contest below .500 at 48-49, including a 22-24 record away from home. The Twins have won three of their last five games. They recently won 4-2 and 5-3 over the Angels while also earning a 6-5 victory over Cleveland. Minnesota recently lost 4-3 to the Angels and 5-2 to Cleveland. Four of the Twins’ five most recent games were decided by two runs or fewer.
The Twins are batting .248 with 811 hits, 471 runs, and 120 home runs. Their offense has produced a .323 on-base percentage and a .415 slugging percentage. Minnesota’s pitching staff owns a 4.62 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP while allowing opponents to bat .251. The Twins have issued 349 walks and recorded 804 strikeouts. They also carry a 21-22 record in day games.
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Minnesota’s main statistical strength is an offense that holds several narrow advantages over Chicago. The Twins have the better batting average and slugging percentage, and they have collected 13 more hits. Their 804 strikeouts from the pitching staff also exceed Chicago’s total of 748. The weakness is a pitching staff that has the higher ERA, higher WHIP, and higher opponent batting average in this matchup. Those pitching differences could make it difficult for Minnesota to turn its offensive advantages into a road victory.
Chicago Leans on Its Home Record and Pitching Edge
Chicago comes into Saturday’s game with a 54-42 overall record and a 27-19 mark at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have also won three of their last five contests. Chicago recently won 8-4 and 5-3 over Cincinnati while earning a 9-7 victory over Baltimore. The Cubs recently lost 4-0 to Cincinnati and 3-2 to Baltimore. Three of Chicago’s five recent games were decided by two runs or fewer.
The Cubs are hitting .244 with 798 hits, 484 runs, and 121 home runs. Chicago has registered a .336 on-base percentage and a .411 slugging percentage. Its pitching staff carries a 4.33 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP while holding opponents to a .246 batting average. The Cubs have issued 296 walks and collected 748 strikeouts. Chicago is 21-19 during day games.
The Cubs’ clearest advantage is their overall balance. Although Minnesota holds small leads in batting average, hits, and slugging percentage, Chicago has scored 13 more runs and hit one more home run. The Cubs also have the better on-base percentage. On the pitching side, Chicago’s ERA is 0.29 lower, its WHIP is 0.09 lower, and its opponent batting average is five points lower. Combined with a home record eight games above .500, those numbers give Chicago a solid foundation entering this matchup.
Minnesota Twins vs Chicago Cubs Picks and Prediction
Minnesota Twins vs Chicago Cubs Pick
- Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline
Chicago is the preferred side based on its stronger overall record, better home performance, and advantage in the matchup predictor. The Cubs are 54-42 overall and 27-19 at Wrigley Field, while Minnesota is 48-49 overall and 22-24 on the road. Chicago also holds the pitching advantage in team ERA, WHIP, and opponent batting average. Minnesota has the stronger starting record and lower starting ERA, but the Cubs’ full team numbers and 59.6% predictor probability support a Chicago moneyline selection.
Minnesota Twins vs Chicago Cubs Total Pick
- Pick: Under 8.5
Take the under if the total is set at 8.5. I favor the under because four of Minnesota’s last five games finished with eight or fewer combined runs. Three of Chicago’s last five also stayed at eight or fewer. The scheduled starters have WHIPs of 1.22 and 1.28, while Chicago owns a 4.33 team ERA and Minnesota has allowed opponents to bat .251. Although both offenses have surpassed 470 runs and reached at least 120 home runs, the supplied recent results make the under my preferred total play at 8.5.
Final Score Prediction: Chicago Cubs 5 – Minnesota Twins 3
This prediction was written before the completion of game play on Friday.
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