After back-to-back divisional series, the Philadelphia Phillies headed to Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs. Although the series got started with a weather delay, we still have a great Sunday Night Baseball matchup on deck, which means that we’ve shared our best Phillies vs. Cubs predictions with you.

It will all lead up to the best bet from our Phillies vs. Cubs picks AND a guaranteed $200 DraftKings Sportsbook welcome bonus!

 

 

 

Phillies vs. Cubs Predictions For MLB Sunday Night Baseball, 4/27

If there are two teams in the National League that have been crazy to monitor this season, it’s the Phillies and Cubs. After Philly got off to a hot 13-8 start, the series-opening shutout loss here knocked them down to a .500 record, although they did get back on track yesterday. 

As for Chicago, after getting swept in Japan by the Los Angeles Dodgers to start the entire 2025 MLB season, they’re now in rather clear control of the NL Central. Of course, it’s still super early in the year, but it’s still worth noting. If nothing else, it will give more for ESPN to talk about during Sunday Night Baseball.

When it comes to tonight’s matchup specifically, we’ve got two starting pitchers that would love to improve their ERA, which of course, plays a major role in where we’re heading for the best bet from our Phillies vs. Cubs predictions.

 

 

 

Philadelphia Phillies: Aaron Nola’s Rough Record

There’s more than just one reason for Philly’s hot start cooling off, but starter Aaron Nola certainly hasn’t helped things. Sitting at an abysmal 0-5 on the year, more than a third of the Phillies losses can be attributed to Nola.

He has had to face some strong teams thus far in the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, but it’s still a tough record to look at on paper. Don’t get it twisted - Philly’s awful bullpen is still more of a concern, and despite Aaron Nola’s record, there is actually a positive trend that has helped us lock in our best bet. 

 

 

 

Chicago Cubs: Jameson Taillon’s Phillies Flop

As easy as it may be to knock Aaron Nola right now, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies on the mound for the Cubs, either. Former New York Yankee starter Jameson Taillon is getting the call, and while he may not be sitting at 0-5 this year, it’s safe to say that he’s had his struggles against the Phillies specifically.

In eight starts against them, Taillon is just 2-4, but far more notable is a 7.41 ERA. Admittedly, he had seven strikeouts against Philly when he faced them last season, but his two prior starts against them as a Cub were both losses. After what we’ve just discussed regarding these two starters, perhaps that means we should be in store for plenty of runs?

 

 

 

How To Watch Phillies vs. Cubs Sunday Night Baseball Today

Although you’ve already seen that this matchup being Sunday Night Baseball means that it’s featured on ESPN, we’ve still shared more about how to watch Phillies vs. Cubs today:

  • Where: Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois
  • When: 7:10 PM ET on 4/27
  • Watch on TV: ESPN
  • Where to stream: ESPN+

 

 

 

Phillies vs. Cubs Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

While the best bet from our Phillies vs. Cubs picks is focused on a player prop, we’ve still got you covered with the standard markets as well - here are the latest Phillies vs. Cubs odds at DraftKings Sportsbook:

 

 

 

Phillies vs. Cubs Best Bet: Aaron Nola Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-135 At DraftKings Sportsbook)

That’s right - the best bet from our Phillies vs. Cubs predictions is targeting the 0-5 starter! Before that has you running for the hills, this is not simply Aaron Nola being “due” for a win. In fact, we don’t even care if he wins the game or not!

Notice that we didn't say due for a good start, either. Despite the terrible record, Nola has still been able to pitch more than five innings in all five starts, and that reasonably solid volume has helped him rack up his strikeouts. While it’s an individual stat that doesn’t translate to wins, it’s all we’re worried about for hitting this prop.

In four of Nola’s starts this season, he’s had six or more strikeouts, including two outings with eight K’s. The only outlier came against the Dodgers, so if any would be considered understandable, it’s that one. 

Furthermore, the Cubs rank just outside the top 10 in terms of team strikeouts, and perhaps more importantly, Aaron Nola has had success against Chicago in his career. It’s no small sample size either - he’s had 10 starts against the Cubs, averaging nearly 7.5 strikeouts per game! Just one of those saw him record fewer than six strikeouts.

That type of success, not to mention consistency, has us confident making the best bet from our Phillies vs. Cubs predictions on Aaron Nola over 5.5 strikeouts (-135 at DraftKings Sportsbook). 

 

 

 

Phillies vs. Cubs Injury Report & Starting Pitchers

As for Phillies vs. Cubs injury news, Philly’s biggest concerns are one in the rotation (lefty Ranger Suarez) and one everyday player (Brandon Marsh). In Chicago, the loss of lefty Justin Steele was a huge blow for their rotation, but outside of that, they are largely healthy with only fellow starter Javier Assad on the 15-day IL.

We’ve already put quite a bit of emphasis on those who will actually be on the mound today, and you can see the Phillies vs. Cubs starters for Sunday Night Baseball below:

 

 

 

How To Bet On Phillies vs. Cubs At DraftKings Sportsbook & Claim Your Guaranteed $200 Bonus

Having Phillies vs. Cubs predictions for Sunday Night Baseball is exciting enough, but with fans in Pennsylvania and Illinois also having legal sports betting makes the game that much more exciting! Therefore, we’ve got a GUARANTEED $200 DraftKings welcome bonus for you:

  1. Click here for a new DraftKings account
  2. Place your first bet for at least $5 on anything
  3. Receive $200 in bonus bets - even if it loses!

That’s a 40x boost no matter what, and you won’t even be asked to enter a DraftKings promo code! That’s as long as you become a new member through us, so be sure to get set up in time for first pitch.