Chicago Cubs at San Francisco Giants, 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 SF.
Game center
From the ESPN box score.
Top performers
Cubs- Michael BuschBatting1-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI
- Javier AssadPitching6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 K
Giants- Bryce EldridgeBatting3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Landen RouppPitching4.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 K
Scoring summary
- 9Eldridge homered to right (377 feet).5–1
- 5Busch homered to right (387 feet), Kelly scored and Bregman scored.5–0
- 4Hoerner hit sacrifice fly to left, Suzuki scored.2–0
- 4Suzuki doubled to center, Happ scored, Suzuki to third.1–0
The pick
Reconstructed from what was known before the game: the ratings at that point and the closing line.
Giants 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
- SF 54%
- ML CHC +108 / SF -130
- Pre-line forecast
- SF 50%
- Elo + market-implied
- Elo ratings
- SF 45%
- Ratings vs. market
- −8.8 pts
- SF: Elo 45.3%, market 54.0%
- Fair odds
- SF -118
- CHC +118 · the forecast as odds, no margin
- Pregame projection
- CHC 4.1 – 4.4 SF
- 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 | CHC | SF | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team rating | 1516 | 1481 | Elo entering the game; 1500 is league average |
| Home field | — | +18 | Worth 18 Elo in MLB |
| Starting pitchers | +3 | −13 | CHC: Javier Assad: team allows 0.14 fewer runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) · SF: Landen Roupp: team allows 0.64 more runs than with its usual starter (≈10 weighted starts) |
| Elo ratings | CHC +33 Elo | CHC 54.7% | |
| Market-implied ratings | SF 51.0% | Team strength as past closing lines priced it, same game context | |
| Pre-line forecast | SF 50.2% | 15% Elo, 85% market-implied (log-odds blend) | |
| Forecast | SF 54.0% | 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. Opponent Elo: how strong the teams each has played are, 1st the toughest.
| CHC | Stat | SF |
|---|---|---|
| 10th of 304.6 | Runs scored | 4.221st of 30 |
| 17th of 304.5 | Runs allowed | 4.922nd of 30 |
| 11th of 30+0.1 | Margin | −0.727th of 30 |
| 26th of 303–7 | Last 10 | 5–511th of 30 |
| 18th of 3015–19 | Road vs home | 13–1827th of 30 |
| 19th of 301499 | Opponent Elo | 15075th of 30 |
| 7th of 301516 | Elo rating | 148122nd 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 |  CHC |  SF |
|---|---|---|
| Run line | 25–44 | 31–38 |
| Last 10 | 1–9 | 5–5 |
| Favorite | 15–32 | 8–15 |
| Underdog | 10–12 | 23–23 |
| Overs–unders | 35–29–5 | 34–30–5 |
| Overs–unders, last 10 | 4–6 | 6–4 |
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
CHC 10–12 SF in their last 22 meetings; the forecast called 13 of 22.