Mets vs. Cubs prediction: MLB picks, odds, best bets for Wednesday

It’s been all as advertised and then some with Shota Imanaga for the Cubs. 

The 30-year-old MLB rookie who made a reputation for his distinguished pitch arsenal has picked up right where he left off in Japan.

He’s hoodwinked hitters with his signature fastball-heavy approach, eliciting a 56.5 swing percentage — the second-highest among all eligible pitchers, per Statcast. 

Imanaga gets hitters to bite because he’s dealt the baseball with polished command, walking them at only a 2.8 percent rate. 

All of this has helped him cruise to a 4-0 start while generating a 0.98 ERA and 0.80 WHIP.

He hasn’t allowed much quality contact, either; only five barrels and two home runs have been hit by opposing bats in 27²/₃ innings. 

The Mets face him at Citi Field on Wednesday with a run-of-the-mill lineup in that area.

They’ve been bolstered by Pete Alonso’s home runs and some other timely hitting, but otherwise rank 14th in wRC+, according to FanGraphs.

The Mets showed flashes of exciting potential here and there throughout April, but inconsistencies in the depths of the batting order have hindered it in critical moments dating back to last season. 

Just ask Jose Butto, who counters Imanaga with a 2.86 ERA and 27.8 strikeout rate.

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His efforts have amounted to an 0-1 record in four starts where early run support was a problem. 

Imanaga has shown he can stiff-arm hitters deep enough into games and allow a Cubs lineup that’s red-hot in advanced hitting to make noise. 

The play: Cubs (-115, FanDuel Sportsbook)