Giants vs. Cubs: Game 1, prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Chicago Cubs (21-14) will host the San Francisco Giants (22-13) for a three-game series. The Giants start their six-game road stretch to Central-division-based teams with a weekend series in Minnesota. The Cubs will hope to continue their good form and win the series before they travel to New York to face the Mets.

The Giants are on a three-game win streak having won their series against the Colorado Rockies. They had lost their previous three, which included two losses to the San Diego Padres, which has kept them third in the NL West. The Cubs, meanwhile, took two games each from the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates in their last two series and lead the NL Central.

Giants vs. Cubs Game 1: Betting Odds & Weather

Date & Time: 5th May, 2025, Monday, 7.40 p.m. ET

Money Line: Cubs -148

Over/Under: Over 7.5 runs

Weather: 58 degrees F, 7 mph wind in, 0% chance of precipitation

Giants vs. Cubs Game 1: Injuries & Projected Lineups

Injuries

Giants

Casey Schmitt: 10 Day IL (Side),
Tyler Fitzgerald: 10 Day IL (Ribs),
Thomas Murphy: 60 Day IL (Back),
Jerar Encarnación: 60 Day IL (Finger)

Cubs

Tyson Miller: 15 Day IL (Hip),
Ryan Brasier: 15 Day IL (Hip),
Eli Morgan: 15 Day IL (Elbow),
Justin Steele: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Javier Assad: 60 Day IL (Oblique),
Shota Imanaga: day-to-day (Leg)

Projected Lineups

Giants

RF M. Yastrzemski [L]
SS Willy Adames [R]
CF Jung Hoo Lee [L]
3B Matt Chapman [R]
DH W. Flores [R]
LF Heliot Ramos [R]
1B LaMonte Wade [L]
C P. Bailey [S]
2B C. Koss [R]

Cubs

LF Ian Happ [S]
RF Kyle Tucker [L]
DH Seiya Suzuki [R]
1B M. Busch [L]
C Carson Kelly [R]
2B Nico Hoerner [R]
CF P. Crow-Armstrong [L]
SS D. Swanson [R]
3B Jon Berti [R]

Giants vs. Cubs Game 1: Prediction and Picks

The San Francisco Giants are expected to have Justin Verlander take the mound. The veteran has had a rough start to the season, going 0-2 with a 4.38 ERA. Cubs' starter Colin Rea has had dynamically opposite results as he has a 2-0, 1.46 ERA record so far.

The Giants' top of the order has done most of the damage, with Jung Hoo Lee leading the team in average with a .305 rate, while Michael Yastrzemski is batting at .283 with 12 extra-base hits and 17 walks. For the Cubs, all eyes would be on Pete Crow-Armstrong has nine home runs and 21 RBIs in his last 17 games. Kyle Tucker also is the joint team leader for most home runs.

Prediction: Cubs 5, Giants 4

Picks

Moneyline Cubs -148

Over 7.5 runs

About the author

Nikhil Parshy is a baseball and ice hockey journalist at Sportskeeda, and after starting out as a cricket reporter, he has been an analyst with SK since November 2022. His interest in the sports were piqued a few years back after watching highlights on YouTube and he has followed the game ever since.

The Chicago Cubs breaking the 108-year curse in 2016 to lift the World Series remains Nikhil's favorite baseball moment. Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has been his favorite player ever since he started following the game, while the LA Dodgers are his favorite team.

As a writer, Nikhil maintains a strong attention to detail and rigorously cross-checks information. He seeks to strike a balance in his writing such that the regular reader gains an insight into player profiles, while also keeping in mind that the non-regular reader is not put off by jargon and shallow analysis.

Nikhil is an avid public speaker, and when not writing about baseball, he regularly participates in debates and quizzes.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash

Giants vs. Cubs: Game 1, prediction, odds, injuries and picks - May 5, MLB 2025

Giants vs. Cubs Game 1: Betting Odds & Weather

Giants vs. Cubs Game 1: Injuries & Projected Lineups

Injuries

Giants

Cubs

Projected Lineups

Giants

Cubs

Giants vs. Cubs Game 1: Prediction and Picks