Only one NL Central team can squeeze its way into the NLCS, and we’ll have our answer on Saturday night in Milwaukee.
The pregame narrative: The Brewers host the Chicago Cubs in a win-or-go-home matchup in Game 5 of the NLDS. Milwaukee won the first two games of the series at home, but Chicago held serve in its home park. Neither team’s starting pitcher had been confirmed at the time of this writing.
Check out my Cubs vs. Brewers best bet for Game 5 at American Family Field.
Cubs vs. Brewers best bet
Best bet: Over 7.5 runs (-106)
The Cubs and Brewers have seen a lot of each other. In my view, that should benefit the hitters.
Saturday’s matchup will be their fifth in eight days. It’ll also be their 13th since the all-star break.
- Right now, Chicago has five true bullpen arms to go with four pseudo-starters. Four of the five legitimate relievers pitched on back-to-back days in Games 3 and 4.
- Shota Imanaga figures to be involved for the Cubs, though he’ll be lined up on four days’ rest instead of his usual five-plus. In Game 2, Imanaga allowed four earned runs over 2.2 innings in a 7-3 loss.
- Milwaukee, meanwhile, used seven relievers in a Game 2 bullpen day and five relievers in Game 3. The Brewers only have two stretched-out starters right now (Freddy Peralta, Quinn Priester), and it’s likely that neither will be available in the decisive game.
- Jacob Misiorowski should factor into this game for the Brewers. He tossed 3.0 scoreless innings (with four strikeouts) in relief in Game 2 … but he still has a 4.98 ERA in 11 outings since the all-star break.
The Cubs and Brewers cashed this over in both previous NLDS matchups in Milwaukee, totalling 22 runs in those games.
Playing in an enclosed ballpark eliminates the negative effect that fall weather in the Midwest can have on scoring.
Key stat: This over is 10-7 in head-to-head matchups between Chicago and Milwaukee these season. The average total in those games was 8.9 runs.
Cubs vs. Brewers picks made at 4:05 p.m. on 10/10/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.