The Philadelphia Phillies (8-16) and Chicago Cubs (15-9) will meet in the finale of their four-game series on Thursday, April 23, with an early start of 2:20 p.m. ET. The Phillies return a 1.75x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they secure a victory.
These two teams are trending in opposite directions. Philadelphia is in a brutal stretch, losing eight straight. Meanwhile, Chicago is hot, having won eight in a row.
Below, we'll break down our Phillies vs. Cubs prediction and picks for Thursday’s MLB matchup, including the run line, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
Make your picks for Phillies vs. Cubs on PrizePicks now.
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Phillies vs. Cubs Prediction, Winner Payout, Over/Under – Thursday, April 23
For the last game of the series, Phillies SP Cristopher Sanchez (2.20 xFIP across 5 starts and 28.1 IP in 2026) and Cubs SP Edward Cabrera (4.31 xFIP across 4 starts and 22.2 IP in 2026) will face off on the mound.
Sanchez is the one saving grace in this awful Phillies rotation, as he’s the only pitcher with a sub-4.00 ERA and sub-3.00 xERA. He’s proving to be one of the top strikeout pitchers in the league, as his 31.7% strikeout percentage is in the 89th percentile, according to Baseball Savant.
The Phillies’ offense is also the blame for the recent struggles. Since April 14, it's last in MLB with a .253 wOBA and a wRC+ of 54.
Cabrera is having a good first season in Chicago, with the Cubs winning three of his four starts. He has one of the toughest fastballs in the league, with batters only having a .191 xBA with a 25% whiff rate, per FanGraphs.
The Cubs’ offense is locked in during the recent winning streak, posting a big league-best 156 wRC+ and .509 xSLG since April 14.
Phillies vs. Cubs Winner Payout, Over/Under – Thursday, April 23
The Phillies enter Thursday’s game as road favorites, returning a 1.75x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for the Phillies vs. Cubs game on PrizePicks.
- Spread: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (2.17x payout)
- Over/Under: 8.5 (1.69x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: Phillies 1.75x | Cubs 2x
Play the Phillies vs. Cubs spread or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Phillies vs. Cubs Prediction on Spread – 4/23/26
Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Phillies vs. Cubs prediction on the run total for Thursday, April 23.
Lock in your Phillies vs. Cubs prediction on PrizePicks before the line moves.
- The Cubs have outscored the Phillies 19-7 in this series.
- Chicago’s offense rarely swings and misses, with its 24.2% whiff rate ranking seventh in MLB.
- Philadelphia’s pitching struggles to garner swings-and-misses, sitting 16th with a 26% whiff rate.
- The Cubs have better lifetime numbers against Sanchez than his season averages. The Cubs’ roster has a career .371 wOBA against Sanchez (Sanchez has a .317 mark this season) and a 29.5% whiff rate (32.3% for Sanchez in 2026).
- Philadelphia is 2-5 against the spread as road favorites and has the second-worst record in the sport.
Phillies vs. Cubs Player Picks, Stats for PrizePicks: 4/23/26
Here are the top Phillies vs. Cubs picks to target on PrizePicks for Thursday, April 23. Today’s MLB picks for PrizePicks include LF Ian Happ and CF Brandon Marsh.
Cubs LF Ian Happ Projection vs. Phillies: 4.5 Hitter Fantasy Score
- Entering today, Happ has more than a 4.0 hitter fantasy score in five straight games.
- Happ has previous success against Sanchez, owning a lifetime xBA of .379 and a .712 xSLG.
- The No. 9 overall pick from the 2015 MLB Draft is getting hot, recording a hit in eight of his last nine games, including multiple in three.
- The eight-year veteran performs quite well in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field to the tune of a .421 wOBA, compared to .317 on the road. Against lefties at home, that number is .449.
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Phillies CF Brandon Marsh Projection vs. Cubs: 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI
- Marsh had been slumping leading up to this series but is 3-for-7 in the last two games.
- The 2016 second-round pick has been successful against Cabrera with a .583 xSLG and .454 xwOBA.
- When the former Los Angeles Angels man puts good contact on the ball, he can send it flying, given his 46.7% launch angle sweet spot rate (96th percentile).
- Marsh's 21.4% walk share against Cabrera is the second-highest on the Phillies roster. He's walking 12.4% of the time on the season.
Add Brandon Marsh to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Make Phillies vs. Cubs Picks on PrizePicks
As the Cubs look to bring the brooms out, the Phillies aim to create any sort of momentum on Thursday afternoon.
Don’t wait until the first pitch happens — make your Phillies vs. Cubs picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
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