Here is the Pickwatch BetSmart Preview for the San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Round in the 2025 MLB Playoffs.

San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs Game Info

Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Time: 3:08 p.m. ET
Location: Wrigley Field — Chicago, Illinois
TV: ABC

Padres vs. Cubs Betting Info

Spread / Run Line
- Padres -1.5 (+176)
- Cubs +1.5 (-215)
Moneyline
- Padres -102
- Cubs +116
Total (Over/Under)
- Over 7 (+100)
- Under 7 (-122)

*Odds via FanDuel

Season Betting Trends

Moneyline
- Padres: 90-73
- Cubs: 93-70
Run Line
- Padres: 89-74
- Cubs: 77-86
Totals (Over-Under)
- Padres: 70-88-5
- Cubs: 74-76-13

San Diego Padres (90–73) @ Chicago Cubs (93–70) Preview

The Padres are in do-or-die mode after dropping Game 1, and must win on the road at Wrigley to extend the series. The Cubs, meanwhile, have momentum and the luxury of needing just one more win to advance.

San Diego will hand the ball to Dylan Cease (8–12, 4.55 ERA) in Game 2, hoping for a bounce-back outing. Chicago will counter with Andrew Kittredge as an opener, with Shōta Imanaga expected to take over later.

Cease has struggled on the road (5.58 ERA) and has allowed multiple hits in many starts, which makes him vulnerable versus Chicago’s deep lineup. Meanwhile, the Cubs’ bullpen and bullpen depth played a pivotal role in Game 1 and may be leaned on heavily again.

With dust settling on Game 1, the market is pricing this as a tight contest: Cubs slight favorites, a modest run line, and a 6.5 total that suggests a low-scoring, pitcher’s duel.

Head-to-Head Stats and Analysis

The Chicago Cubs lead the all-time series 285-239 against the Padres. Here are the last 5 matchups:

Cubs 3, Padres 1 — September 30, 2025
Padres 4, Cubs 2 — April 16, 2025
Padres 10, Cubs 4 — April 14, 2025
Cubs 5, Padres 2 — April 6, 2025
Padres 8, Cubs 7 — April 6, 2025

BetSmart Betting Rundown

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Arbitrage

Our Arbitrage Betting Tool is currently not identifying any arbitrage betting opportunities for guaranteed profit. The tool scans all major sportsbooks in real-time, though, so be sure to check back often as odds and lines change often, and an arbitrage opportunity could still become available before the first pitch.

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 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.

Padres vs. Cubs: Expert Picks

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