Here is the Pickwatch BetSmart Preview for the Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the NL Divisional Round in the 2025 MLB Playoffs.

Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers Game Info

Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025
Time: 2:08 PM ET
Location: American Family Field — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TV: TBS

Cubs vs. Brewers Betting Info

Spread / Run Line
- Cubs +1.5 (-200)
- Brewers -1.5 (+164)
Moneyline
- Cubs +116
- Brewers -136
Total (Over/Under)
- Over 7.5 (-110)
- Under 7.5 (-110)

*Odds via FanDuel

Season Betting Trends

Moneyline
- Cubs: 94-71
- Brewers: 97-65
Run Line
- Cubs: 78-87
- Brewers: 89-73
Totals (Over-Under)
- Cubs: 74-78-13
- Brewers: 76-86-6

Chicago Cubs @ Milwaukee Brewers Game 1 Preview

The Cubs entered the postseason by knocking off the Padres 3–1 in their Wild Card series, riding solid pitching and timely hitting. Milwaukee, meanwhile, earned the NL Central title and top seed with a league-best 97–65 record, granting them rest and home advantage.

Milwaukee will hand the ball to Freddy Peralta, who went 17–6 with a 2.70 ERA this season, and has had strong results historically vs. the Cubs. The Cubs counter with Matthew Boyd, who posted a career-best season in 2025 (14-8, 3.21 ERA), though his numbers against Milwaukee and on the road are uneven.

Milwaukee has deeper bullpen options and more rest heading into this game, which could factor in late innings leverage. Chicago’s bullpen has been tested but held firm in the Wild Card round, showing resilience in tight spots.

The market leans to Milwaukee, reflecting the pitching edge, home field, and deeper roster. Some analysts expect a high-leverage matchup and lean toward pitcher props (e.g. Peralta strikeouts) and the over, as many matchups between these teams have been tight but scoring has trended modest.

Cubs vs. Brewers Head-to-Head Stats and Analysis

The Milwaukee Brewers lead the all-time series 230-226 against the Chicago Cubs. Here are the last 5 matchups:

Brewers 7, Cubs 0 — August 18, 2025
Cubs 6, Brewers 4 — August 19, 2025
Cubs 4, Brewers 3 — August 20, 2025
Cubs 5, Brewers 2 — August 21, 2025
Cubs 10, Brewers 3 — July 30, 2025

BetSmart Betting Rundown

The Pickwatch BetSmart subscription package provides valuable sports betting tools to help you wager wisely on the Cubs vs. Brewers game and start building bankroll. Sign up for a 14-Day Free Trial today and get instant access to our proprietary tools and data.

Arbitrage

Our Arbitrage Betting Tool has identified 3 arbitrage betting opportunities for guaranteed profit. Odds and lines change often, so be sure to take advantage of these quickly!

Middles

Our Middle Betting Tool is currently not identifying any middle betting opportunities. The tool scans all major sportsbooks in real-time, though, so be sure to check back often as odds and lines change often, and additional middle bet opportunities could still become available before the first pitch.

Positive EV

Our Positive EV Betting Tool has identified 2 different positive expected value wagers, and provided data on the expected value percentrage, suggested Kelly Stake, and how often the bet has hit in the last 5, 10 and 15 games.

Player Props

Our Prop Finder Tool has identified over 200 different player prop bets, and provided data on how often each player has hit the specific prop in the last 5, 10 and 15 games.

Cubs vs. Brewers: Expert Picks

Visit our Expert Picks page to view picks and data from experts to see where the consensus is on the Cubs vs. Brewers moneyline, run line and total.