Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs, MLB forecast
Win probability
Starts from the pregame forecast, then moves with the score and the time left after each inning. Above the line favors CHC.
Game center
From the ESPN box score.
Top performers
- Blake PerkinsBatting1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI
- Tobias MyersPitching3.0 IP, 4 ER, 2 K
- Patrick WisdomBatting2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI
- Jameson TaillonPitching6.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 K
Scoring summary
- 9
Contreras singled to right, Perkins scored, Frelick to second.5–6 - 9
Pitch 4 : Ball In Play5–6 - 9
Pitch 3 : Strike 1 Swinging4–6 - 9
Pitch 2 : Ball 24–6 - 9
Pitch 1 : Ball 14–6 - 8
Wisdom singled to center, Busch scored.4–6 - 8
Pitch 7 : Ball In Play4–6 - 8
Pitch 6 : Strike 2 Foul4–5 - 8
Pitch 5 : Ball 24–5 - 8
Pitch 4 : Strike 2 Foul4–5 - 8
Pitch 3 : Ball 14–5 - 8
Pitch 2 : Strike 2 Swinging4–5 - 8
Pitch 1 : Strike 1 Foul4–5 - 7
Frelick doubled to right, Chourio scored on throwing error by right fielder Tauchman.4–5 - 7
Pitch 2 : Ball In Play4–5 - 7
Pitch 1 : Ball 13–5 - 7
Perkins homered to right center (384 feet), Dunn scored.3–5 - 7
Pitch 8 : Ball In Play3–5 - 7
Pitch 7 : Ball 31–5 - 7
Pitch 6 : Ball 21–5 - 7
Pitch 5 : Ball 11–5 - 7
Pitch 4 : Strike 2 Foul1–5 - 7
Pitch 3 : Strike 2 Foul1–5 - 7
Pitch 2 : Strike 2 Swinging1–5 - 7
Pitch 1 : Strike 1 Looking1–5 - 7
Dunn tripled to center, Hoskins scored.1–5 - 7
Pitch 1 : Ball In Play1–5 - 6
Wisdom homered to left (438 feet).0–5 - 6
Pitch 4 : Ball In Play0–5 - 6
Pitch 3 : Strike 1 Foul0–4 - 6
Pitch 2 : Ball 20–4 - 6
Pitch 1 : Ball 10–4 - 3
Morel homered to left center (430 feet), Happ scored.0–4 - 3
Pitch 4 : Ball In Play0–4 - 3
Pitch 3 : Strike 2 Foul0–2 - 3
Pitch 2 : Strike 2 Swinging0–2 - 3
Pitch 1 : Strike 1 Looking0–2 - 1
Busch grounded into fielder's choice to second, Tauchman scored, Morel out at second, Happ to third.0–2 - 1
Pitch 4 : Ball In Play0–2 - 1
Pitch 3 : Strike 2 Foul0–1
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Cubs 54%
Forecast Elo ratings alone
How often that comes true: MLB favorites the forecast gave 50–55% have won 52.7% of 2,871 graded games.
- Market
- CHC 54%
- ML MIL +110 / CHC -130
- Pre-line forecast
- CHC 51%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- CHC 55%
- Ratings vs. market
- +0.7 pts
- CHC: Elo 55.0%, market 54.3%
- Fair odds
- CHC -119
- MIL +119 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- MIL 4.1 – 4.4 CHC
- Margin from the forecast, posted total 8.5
How the number is built
Elo inputs in rating points (higher favors that team; 25–28 Elo is about a point of spread in football and basketball), then how the pieces combine.
| Factor | MIL | CHC | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1535 | 1520 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | −25 | +7 | MIL: Tobias Myers: team allows 1.26 more runs than with its usual starter (≈2 weighted starts) · CHC: Jameson Taillon: team allows 0.35 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | CHC +35 Elo | CHC 55.0% | |
| Market-implied ratings | CHC 50.6% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | CHC 51.3% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | CHC 54.3% | Follows the market (vig removed): in testing, adding the ratings made it less accurate | |
Tale of the tape
This season coming into the game, regular season, each number with its league rank (the longer the bar, the higher). Home and road: the host's record at home against the visitor's on the road.
| MIL | Stat | |
|---|---|---|
| 4th of 305.2 | Runs scored | 4.88th of 30 |
| 16th of 304.3 | Runs allowed | 4.419th of 30 |
| 8th of 30+0.9 | Margin | +0.412th of 30 |
| 6th of 306–4 | Last 10 | 5–511th of 30 |
| 1st of 3013–4 | Road vs home | 10–43rd of 30 |
Rating history
Each team's Elo over the last two seasons. Hover or drag to compare on any date.
Recent form
Last five results, and whether the forecast hit.
Against the line
How each team has done against the closing spread and total, coming into this game.
| This season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 17–14 | 21–12 |
| Last 10 | 7–3 | 5–5 |
| Favorite | 5–8 | 6–7 |
| Underdog | 12–6 | 15–5 |
| Overs–unders | 18–13 | 14–18–1 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 5–5 | 3–7 |
Against each game's closing line. Books set every line knowing these records: across 3,901 past games, the team with the better record against the spread so far that season covered 51.2%, short of the 52.4% a standard −110 bet needs, and over/under streaks held 48.0% of the time. They describe the past.
Head to head
MIL 8–6 CHC in their last 14 meetings; the forecast called 7 of 14.



