Yankees vs. Cubs preview: MLB picks for July 31, 2026

In a critical interleague matchup on Friday afternoon, the New York Yankees aimed to end a two-game losing streak against the Chicago Cubs. The game took place at Wrigley Field in Chicago, with first pitch scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET. New York entered the game following a tough 2-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox that extended their woes, while the Cubs came off a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in extra innings.

At the time of the matchup, the Yankees had a record of 61-48 and were sitting second in the American League East, having achieved a 35-25 record on the road during the season. The Cubs, on the other hand, stood at 62-47 and held the second spot in the National League Central, with a home record of 30-22.

According to the latest odds, Chicago was favored at -157 on the money line, which indicated a risk of $157 to win $100. The over/under for this game was set at 9 runs.

The SportsLine Projection Model had simulated the game 10,000 times and was performing well, entering the day on a 39-23 run on all top-rated MLB picks. During the previous season, it had also made successful home run prop predictions, returning nearly 30 units of profit from its betting advice. It looked to maintain its positive momentum as it provided insights and predictions for this Yankees vs. Cubs game.

Key betting lines included the Yankees vs. Cubs money line, Cubs at -157 and Yankees at +136, alongside the run line of Cubs -1.5 (+130). For the total runs, the model suggested that the over would likely hit, projecting a combined total of 9.3 runs based on statistical analysis of both teams' performances. The Yankees' Ben Rice and Trent Grisham were projected to achieve over 1.5 total bases each, while Cubs players Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki were also expected to exceed that total.

With promising predictions coming from SportsLine's proven model, bets on the Yankees vs. Cubs matchup were eagerly anticipated by fans and bettors alike.