In hitting and offense, the Cubbies were the third best scoring team in MLB whereas the Tribe was the fifth best, so they’re pretty close offensively with the Cubbies having a slight edge.
However, in pitching and defense the Cubbies were first in MLB in fewest runs scored against them whereas the Tribe was seventh, the Cubbies with a fairly large advantage.
The Cubbies should win.
They sure shut down the Dodgers.
I went to a few Indians games this year. They're a wonderful team to watch. They've gotten even more cohesive, confident and competent in the past month. I wouldn't count them out.
The Cubbies should win.
It’s close enough that it will all come down to situational match ups and which team delivers in the clutch. 1st vs. 7th is not a huge gap.