Quick Picks with Coach Rick Bowe, MLB Picks, MLB Free Picks, MLB Predictions 6/7/26

Quick Picks with Coach Rick Bowe, MLB Picks, MLB Free Picks, MLB Predictions 6/7/26

SAN FRANCISCO @ CHICAGO (CHC -120, 8)

MLB ODDS, MLB PREDICTIONS, MLB PREVIEWS

COACH RICK MLB PREVIEWS

GIANTS @ CUBS 6/7/26

The San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs wrap up their series tonight at Wrigley Field in a Sunday Night Baseball showdown. After the Giants exploded for 18 runs in the series opener, the Cubs managed to stabilize with a 3-2 victory yesterday. Tonight’s matchup features a battle of right-handers as Trevor McDonald takes the hill for San Francisco against Chicago’s Jameson Taillon.

The Cubs are the definitive play tonight at home at Wrigley Field. Chicago has been a reliable home team this season (19-14), while the Giants have struggled significantly on the road (14-22). The pitching matchup favors the veteran Jameson Taillon, who has historically been a steady presence at Wrigley. While Taillon’s 5.13 ERA this season looks inflated, he has a career 84-65 record and a 3.94 ERA. In his career against current Giants hitters, he has held them to a .169 batting average and a .253 wOBA over 72 plate appearances.

San Francisco counters with Trevor McDonald, who has a respectable 3.46 career ERA but has shown vulnerability in high-leverage road starts. The Giants' pitching staff as a whole has been porous, allowing 4.94 runs per game (23rd in MLB) and maintaining a 1.41 WHIP. Chicago’s offense, led by Seiya Suzuki and Nico Hoerner, ranks 8th in the league in runs per game (4.66) and should be able to exploit a Giants bullpen that has already blown 7 of 18 save opportunities this season.

GAME TOTAL RECOMMENDATION

While the series opener was an offensive anomaly, Wrigley Field is playing as a pitcher's park tonight. Wrigley currently ranks 27th in overall park factor (95), significantly suppressing runs (90) and hits (94). Sharp betting action has already moved this total down from an opening of 9.0 to 8.0. It’s a classic reverse line movement signal where the professionals are backing a lower-scoring affair despite public interest in the Over.

Jameson Taillon has been particularly effective at limiting the current Giants' core. Matt Chapman is just 1-for-18 (.059) against him, and Willy Adames is hitting only .150. On the other side, Trevor McDonald has limited major league experience but has maintained a strong 1.058 WHIP. With both teams navigating significant injuries to key power hitters—including the Giants losing Heliot Ramos and Harrison Bader—expect a tactical, low-scoring battle typical of Sunday night matchups in Chicago.

PLAYER PROPS TO WATCH

Jung Hoo Lee is the most consistent contact hitter in this matchup. He has been on an absolute tear recently, recording at least one hit in each of his last 10 games. Over that 10-game span, he is averaging 2.3 hits per game, showing that he isn't just squeaking by the line—he's obliterating it. His season hit rate stands at 66.67%, but that number jumps to 74.29% when he is playing on the road.

Lee also has a strong history against the Cubs, hitting the Over on his 0.5 Hits prop in 100% of his matchups against them in 2026 (2-for-2) and 80% in 2025. Facing Taillon, who allows 8.6 hits per nine innings, Lee’s elite bat-to-ball skills make this the safest player prop on the board.

Luis Arraez remains one of the most difficult outs in baseball, and his recent trends suggest he is a lock for a base hit tonight. Arraez has recorded a hit in each of his last 5 games and 9 of his last 10. For the season, he has a 75.81% hit rate across 62 games. He has also been perfect against the Cubs this year, going 2-for-2 in hitting the Over in their previous meetings.

While he is only 3-for-15 (.200) career against Taillon, Arraez’s current form is too strong to ignore. He is averaging 1.27 hits per game this season and has maintained a 72.22% hit rate on the road. In a game where runs might be hard to come by, Arraez’s ability to find holes in the defense is a major advantage.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has become a focal point of the Cubs' offense recently. He has cleared this 1.5 HRR line in 8of his last 10 games, averaging a massive 3.6 per game in that stretch. His speed on the basepaths makes him a constant threat to score, and he has been driving the ball effectively, as evidenced by his 4.5 average HRRin two games against the Giants this season.

Crow-Armstrong is facing a Giants pitching staff that ranks 27th in fielding percentage (.982) and has a tendency to allow traffic on the bases. With his ability to contribute in multiple statistical categories, he is well-positioned to clear this relatively low bar at home.

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FREE PICK: UNDER 8

Taillon and McDonald don’t necessarily make one think “Under,” but both are capable of limiting runs tonight. McDonald has pitched well except for his one blowup start against the White Sox (7 ER). His xERA of 3.82 and FIP of 3.66 indicate that he can pitch well against a Cubs team that is just 5-15 in its last 20 games. Taillon has had some issues, but he pitched well is last time out - 6 IP, 2 ER - and has some success against the Giants. He has held current Giants hitters to a .169 batting average and, don’t forget, SF is still a bottom-10 scoring team. The bigger factor tonight is the wind at Wrigley. It’s blowing in directly from centerfield toward home plate in the 10-15 mph range. In games this year with the wind blowing in, the average runs per game is less than 7.5. We’ll gladly take the Under 8 at -113.

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