The rain at Citi Field kept yesterday’s series opener between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs from getting started, but Tuesday is a new day. Tonight at 7:10 p.m. ET, these two NL teams are set to take the field for the first of three outings over the next couple of days. Chicago has won six of its last nine matchups with three series victories in that span; New York is trying to claw its way back into Wild Card relevance but hasn’t looked great as of late.

Here’s a betting prediction and pick for this Cubs vs. Mets matchup courtesy of MLB odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Cubs vs. Mets prediction, preview

Chicago Cubs

The Cubbies sit third in the NL Central and aren’t quite the true contender they expected to be coming into the year. However, they’re still a respectable 40-37 and are third place in their division, also holding a Wild Card spot as things stand. They’ve won six of their last nine outings and have been hot over the last two weeks with an .838 OPS that ranks fourth in the MLB. On the year, the club averages 4.75 runs per game and is sixth in OPS at .738, slashing .244/.337/.401. They face a RHP tonight and bring a split of .238/.331/.397 for a decreased .728 OPS against similar handedness. However, 65 of the Cubs’ 90 homers have come in that split, and they have an ISO of .158 on the year that ranks in the middle of the pack. They’re also first in BB% at 11.2% with a 21.0% K%, good for an 0.53 BB/K ratio that sits atop the league leaderboard.

RHP Edward Cabrera makes his 14th start for Chicago tonight with a 4-4 record. He brings a 5.21 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP and 61 SO across 67.1 IP to this outing. The Cubs’ bullpen is also 11th in ERA at 3.82 with a 1.26 WHIP and a 11.8% K-BB%.

New York Mets

It’s been a forgettable season for the Mets, who spent time without some key pieces due to injury and have otherwise continued to underperform for the most part. They’re at the bottom of the NL East at 34-43 with a run differential of -31, also going 5-5 over their last 10 outings. On the full campaign, New York averages just 4.04 runs per game and ranks 29th in OPS at .669, slashing .232/.297/.372. Now, that OPS does increase to .714 over the last two weeks, but they’re also worse against right-handers like they’ll face tonight with a line of .230/.296/.370 for a .666 OPS in the split. That’s far from encouraging, and the other numbers won’t make one feel much better. The Mets have a .140 ISO that falls fourth-to-last with 82 homers this season. They also have the third-lowest BB% at 7.7% and a K% of 22.3%, tallying out at an 0.35 BB/K ratio.

RHP Kodai Senga gets the start for the Mets after going 0-5 in his six appearances this year. He has a 9.00 ERA, a 1.88 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in his 24.0 IP. The bullpen behind him should provide support with a 3.37 ERA that ranks fifth, a 1.18 WHIP and a 15.8% K-BB%.

Cubs vs. Mets pick, best bet

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Cubs as -112 favorites on the Moneyline tonight. The Mets are slight -108 underdogs to win outright at home. The run total sits at 8.5 combined runs this evening.

Best Bet: Kodai Senga over 2.5 walks (-129)

Senga was super solid last season in a slightly limited sample of 22 starts, largely struggling just with his control. His first five starts of 2026 were not nearly as encouraging before he suffered an injury in late April that kept him sidelined until June 16. Once he came back, he tossed 4.0 innings with four earned runs allowed on a pair of homers, plus four walks with five strikeouts. Woof. He should improve with time and get back to his typical self, but his BB% is still 14.9% and he’s allowed an 11.8% barrel rate that ranks in the seventh percentile. He’s also in the third percentile in ground-ball rate, keeping it low just 27.9% of the time. Maybe he gets his legs back under him eventually, but the Cubs’ bats look good as of late and should get the better of him. I like him to go over most of his pitcher props, but the one to feel most bullish about is over 2.5 walks issued. Chicago is taking free passes at a better rate than any other team in the MLB, so it’s only natural that the Cubbies would take advantage of a hurler who isn’t locating his pitches well.