Teams trending in the opposite direction meet on Friday when the Chicago Cubs host the San Diego Padres. The Cubs (52-44), first in the National League Central, have won two in a row and six of their last eight, while the Padres (46-50), tied for fourth in the NL West, have lost five of six. First pitch from Wrigley Field is set for 2:20 p.m. ET, and this will be the first meeting between the teams this season. The latest Cubs vs. Padres odds show Chicago favored at -152 on the money line (risk $152 to win $100). Before making any Cubs vs. Padres picks of your own, be sure to see the MLB predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, entered Week 17 of the MLB season on a sizzling 22-7 run on top-rated MLB money line picks, returning almost $1,900 on the season for $100 bettors. Anybody who has been following it is way up.

Now the model has dialed in on Padres vs. Cubs, and we can tell you it says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.

The model knows left-hander Jon Lester (9-6, 3.74 ERA) gets the start for the Cubs. Lester allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings in a win over the Pirates on Saturday, finishing with six strikeouts and no walks. He is 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA, 30 strikeouts and six walks in his last five outings.

Third baseman Kris Bryant is 4-for-7 with a walk and two home runs in his last two games. He has hits in seven of his last nine games, going 14-for-33 with four doubles, four homers and five RBIs during that stretch. Anthony Rizzo has a nine-game hitting streak, going 15-for-32 with five doubles, one triple and five RBIs during that span.

But just because Chicago has started to heat up does not mean it is the best value on the Padres vs. Cubs money line. 

That's because the Padres will be sending left-hander Eric Lauer (5-7, 4.04 ERA) to the mound. He pitched well in the Padres' 3-2 win over the Dodgers on July 5, although he received a no-decision. In six innings, he allowed four hits and only one earned run. Statistically, the Padres have the edge over the Cubs in a number of pitching categories, including walks allowed (246 to 318), strikeouts (832 to 817), WHIP (1.27 to 1.31), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.38 to 2.57). 

Padres center fielder Manuel Margot raised his average 16 points in a three-game series at Miami this week. He was 6-for-11 with two doubles, one triple one homer and two RBIs.

So who wins Padres vs. Cubs? And which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the money line you should be all over Friday, all from the advanced model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.