MLB Baseball

2025-10-11 - Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers

A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown

Chicago Cubs @ Milwaukee Brewers
United States : MLB Baseball Playoff Divisional Series Game 5
Saturday 11th October 2025 - Scheduled 8:08pm
1:08am (British Time)

Preview

A Divisional Round Series in both the American League and National League has been pushed into a 'win or go home' Game 5 setting and that could be a problem heading into the Championship Series beginning on Sunday and Monday respectively.

However, it is only a problem for the winning team and it is one that every Manager, player and fan will want for their ball club.

All credit has to be given to the Chicago Cubs for rallying against National League Central rivals Milwaukee Brewers to earn a Game 5. The bullpen have come up in big spots to back up the early runs that the team have been able to put on the board and the Cubs have become just the eighteenth team to recover from 2-0 behind in a best of five game Series to force a decider.

Momentum is with them and Cubs fans should be excited knowing that ten of the previous seventeen to have won back to back games to stay alive and have gone on and completed the Series win. Both the Blue Jays in 2015 and Yankees in 2017 have managed to do that in Division Round Series, although the most recent attempt ended in defeat for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019.

That is no matter and the Cubs will be looking for the bats to stay alive having put up some decent numbers in the last couple of games. One concern remains that they have not added to the First Inning success that has been a feature of this Series, but they did that in Game 4 and that is a huge boost for this team.

No Game 5 starter has been picked by either team, although the feeling around Chicago is that they will either have Shota Imanaga go out immediately or have an opener begin before bringing in Imanaga in the Second Inning. That was the more successful approach in the two games that have featured Shota Imanaga in the Playoffs and his struggles in the First Inning going back to the regular season saw him allow three runs to the Milwaukee Brewers in the opening stanza of Game 2.

He has not had the best success against this Divisional rival, but there will be a short leash for every pitcher heading to the mound with the season on the line.

After failing to close the show twice in a row, there is not going to be a lot of panic in the Milwaukee dugout and they do have home advantage. The Brewers had a 52-29 record at home in the regular season and they have won both home games in this Series with a real level of comfort.

They took a bullpen approach to Game 2 of this Series and the suggestion is that the Milwaukee Brewers will look to do the same. The heavy lifting is likely to be done by rookie Jacob Misiorowski again having thrown 3 Innings in Game 2 and giving up a single Hit to the Cubbies, but this is a different kind of pressure around both ball clubs and that makes it fascinating viewing.

Prediction

This preview is being written before the starters have been announced, although the expectation is that Shota Imanaga and Jacob Misiorowski will be asked to get through most of the Innings in a big Game 5 decider.

Any problems will see the two Managers make quick changes with the bullpen all ready to go and there really isn't much between the teams through four games.

All have been won by the home team, which gives Milwaukee an edge, but the Chicago Cubs will note that ten of the seventeen teams that have fought back from 2-0 down in a best of five game Series have gone on to complete the success once back to 2-2.

They have the momentum, but it is a tough game to call and instead it may be another game where picking a couple of players to produce a Hit will be the best approach to take.

Nico Hoerner has been really good to those reading these previews and he has continued finding a way onto base- he has eight Hits in the Series and at least one per game and should be able to get something through again.

Doubling Hoerner up with Andrew Vaughan of the Milwaukee Brewers for a Hit of his own looks the play at 2.00.

Andrew Vaughan has started three games in this Series and has had one Hit each time, while he is 3-8 against Shota Imanaga with one Walk.

Those looking at bigger prices will note that there have been seven Home Runs scored in the first two games played in this ballpark.

Michael Busch has been a huge Home Run performer in this Series, but he has been shortened considerably for another.

Instead Ian Happ may be worth backing (5.50) having hit the ball out of the park twice in this Series and twice in the regular season against the Brewers.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has not hit one in this Series, but he had five Home Runs against the Milwaukee Brewers in the regular season (7.00).

For the home team, William Contreras (5.50) is the choice for a potential Home Run- he had one Hit at Wrigley Field, but two in each of Game 1 and Game 2, which included a Home Run.