Chicago Cubs @ Philadelphia Phillies - June 11, 2025

As the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies prepare to face off at Citizens Bank Park, both teams are looking to bounce back from their recent encounter where the Cubs triumphed 8-4. The outcome of that game serves as a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in baseball, and with both teams eager for a victory, we should expect an exciting matchup.

The Cubs will hand the ball to Ben Brown, who has had a mixed season thus far with a 3-4 record and a 3.7 ERA. While his strikeout rate is commendable at approximately 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings, he needs to harness that ability more effectively on Wednesday. His last performance against the Phillies saw him contribute significantly to their offensive struggles, but consistency has been elusive for him this season.

On the other side of the mound is Jesús Luzardo for Philadelphia. With a solid win-loss record of 5-2 and an ERA hovering around 4.0, Luzardo has shown flashes of brilliance this year—most notably his impressive strikeout rate of about 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings. However, he’s also had bouts of inconsistency which could play into the hands of the Cubs’ potent offense.

Speaking of offense, it’s hard not to notice how well both teams have performed at the plate this season. The Cubs lead in runs scored per game (5.7) and hits (9.1), showcasing their ability to generate offensive production consistently. Their batting average stands slightly higher than Philadelphia’s at .252 compared to .244, reflecting their overall effectiveness in getting on base and driving in runs.

Conversely, while the Phillies may be struggling recently—losing six straight games—they still boast respectable offensive numbers with an average of about 4.6 runs per game and nearly 8.5 hits per contest. It’s worth noting that they’ve faced challenges converting opportunities into runs lately; however, playing at home could spark some much-needed momentum.

Oddsmakers opened with Philadelphia as slight favorites (-118), likely due to their home-field advantage despite their recent slump combined with Luzardo’s potential upside as a starting pitcher.

Given all these factors leading up to Wednesday’s showdown, I predict that we’ll see another high-scoring affair similar to what transpired last time out between these two clubs—a game that ended up going OVER on total runs scored (12). With both offenses capable of exploding given favorable matchups against pitchers who have shown vulnerability at times this season, it seems reasonable to expect plenty of action on both sides.

In conclusion, while I’m leaning towards predicting a victory for Philadelphia based on their need for redemption coupled with home field support, I also anticipate an entertaining battle filled with scoring opportunities leading us toward yet another OVER outcome in terms of total runs scored!