Chicago Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles Picks and Prediction for Thursday, July 9, 2026
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The Chicago Cubs visit the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. ET at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, with coverage on ESPN Unlimited and MLB.TV. Chicago is 51-40 and sits second in the NL Central, while Baltimore is 42-50 and sits fifth in the AL East. The Cubs have won two straight games and opened this series with a 5-2 victory on Tuesday, while the Orioles have dropped two consecutive contests. Win big with our free MLB picks
Chicago Cubs Preview
Chicago continues to receive balanced production from one of the National League's better offenses. The Cubs rank 14th in MLB with a .244 team batting average while scoring 460 runs with 112 home runs and a .338 on-base percentage. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been the offensive leader, batting .293 with 100 hits, 19 home runs, 50 RBI and 23 stolen bases. Dansby Swanson leads the club with 58 RBI and 16 home runs, while Seiya Suzuki has added 13 home runs. Michael Busch has contributed 11 homers, and Carson Kelly owns a strong .282 batting average.
Chicago has paired that offense with dependable pitching throughout the season. The Cubs rank 21st in MLB with a 4.36 ERA but own a solid 1.27 WHIP while limiting opponents to a .244 batting average. The pitching staff has recorded 23 quality starts with 705 strikeouts across 801.1 innings. Chicago has also limited free passes with only 279 walks, helping the club win seven of its last 10 games.
Injuries: Phil Maton (15-Day IL), Riley Martin (15-Day IL), Hunter Harvey (60-Day IL), Jameson Taillon (15-Day IL), Matt Shaw (10-Day IL).
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Baltimore Orioles Preview
Baltimore has struggled to consistently generate offense despite showing plenty of power. The Orioles rank 20th in MLB with a .238 batting average while scoring 416 runs with 104 home runs and a .319 on-base percentage. Pete Alonso leads the lineup with 19 home runs and 60 RBI, while Taylor Ward is batting .251 with 86 hits and a .379 on-base percentage. Samuel Basallo is hitting .256 with 14 home runs, and Adley Rutschman has driven in 47 runs with eight home runs.
The Orioles pitching staff has also faced challenges this season. Baltimore ranks 20th in MLB with a 4.34 ERA and owns a 1.37 WHIP while allowing opponents to hit .253. The staff has struggled to consistently keep runners off base. Baltimore will look for a stronger overall effort after allowing five runs in Tuesday's series opener.
Injuries: Ryan Helsley (15-Day IL), Yaramil Hiraldo (60-Day IL), Keegan Akin (15-Day IL), Chris Bassitt (15-Day IL), Colin Selby (60-Day IL).
Pitching Matchup
Chicago Cubs – David Peterson (LHP)
Peterson is 4-7 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.67 WHIP across 77.1 innings this season. The left-hander has struggled with consistency and will look to give Chicago a chance to win by limiting early damage.
Baltimore Orioles – Trevor Rogers (LHP)
Rogers is 6-7 with a 4.70 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 84.1 innings. He has generally kept Baltimore competitive and will try to slow a Cubs lineup that has produced 11 runs over its last two games.
Chicago Cubs vs Baltimore Orioles Prediction
Chicago has been the more consistent team entering this matchup and already owns a win in the series. The Cubs have the stronger overall offense, a more reliable pitching staff over the course of the season, and have played better baseball recently than Baltimore. While neither starting pitcher has posted dominant numbers, Chicago has done a better job creating scoring opportunities and backing its pitching with timely offense. Expect the Cubs to capitalize on another favorable matchup and secure the series victory. Final Score Prediction: Chicago Cubs win 6-5
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