Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commi sion if you sign up through our links. Read our for more information. The Mets finish a four-game series with the Cubs on Thursday afternoon in Queens. Unfortunately for the home team, starting pitcher toes the rubber, and his early-season results dont indicate we should be hopeful. Meanwhile, Chicagos starting a young pitcher with loads of upside upside worth wagering on in his young career. Cubs vs. Mets odds Team Moneyline Run Line Total Cubs -105 -1.5 (+160) o8.5 (-102) Mets -115 +1.5 (-192) u8.5 (-118) Odds via Explore More Cubs vs. Mets Prediction (1:10 p.m. ET, SNY) Houser has i sued more free pa ses (16) than strikeouts (14) acro s his first 23 innings, and hes on pace for a career-worst batted-ball profile (93 mph average exit velocity, second percentile; 10% barrel rate, 11th percentile). He lacks pure stuff, so hes dependent on pinpoint location and ability to induce weak contact. But hes struggling in both areas, with his Location+ metric dropping five points year over year (103 to 98) and his ground-ball rate dropping six percentage points (47% to 41%). Houser wont post an ERA north of eight for an entire season, but his expected ERA and FIP sit above six, so he shouldnt be projected any better than a replacement-level starting pitcher. Conversely, Cubs starting pitcher Ben Brown is a fascinating prospect. Brown has three plus pitches, capitalized with an upper-90s fastball and a knuckle curve with disgusting dropping action the latter Kawhi Leonard Jersey has a 132 Stuff+ mark and a 40% whiff rate. Hes used this arsenal to obliterate the minors, striking out 35% of batters on his rise from High-A to Triple-A. Adrian Houser gets the nod for the Mets on Thursday against the Cubs. Getty Images His command and batted-ball profile leave much to be desired, as does his overall statistical profile (4.30 ERA, 5.76 expected ERA). However, I believe some of his numbers are inflated by two tough outings a six-run blowup relief appearance on opening day against Texas and a three-run, seven-hit performance last week in the noted pitchers park that is Fenway. Between those two outlier performances, Brown made five starting and relief appearances, allowing two runs on nine hits acro s 17 innings, striking out 17 and walking four. Hes shown a concerted effort to locate better, leading to a low-3.00s FIP and mid-3.00s expected FIP. Hes been vital in Chicagos ascension toward the top of the NL Central. Expect some more excellent outings shortly, and Im betting he pieces one together against the Mets, who boast merely an average lineup against right-handed pitching (100 wRC+). Chicagos bats have cooled off significantly, but thats mainly because the Cubs are making poor swing decisions, boasting a 30% chase rate and 14% swinging strike rate over the past two weeks. Learn all you need to know about MLB Betting Read about the Learn all about Cubs vs. Mets pick Considering Houser cant mi s bats, I wouldnt be surprised to see the Cubs get back on track. The Mets have a monster bullpen advantage over the Cubs, so Id rather avoid any late-game mishaps and bet directly on Brown against Houser. Therefore, Ill take the Cubs on the first-half moneyline.. Pick: Cubs F5 ML (-110, ) Damon Stoudamire Jersey