Our Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres preview covers the odds, run line, total, probable pitchers, first pitch time, TV channel and where to watch for Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. The No. 5-seeded Chicago Cubs (89-73) visit the No. 4-seeded San Diego Padres (91-71) at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., to open the best-of-three series. First pitch is 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM PT). TV: Peacock / NBCSN.
Wild Card storyline: The Padres (91-71) are the NL’s No. 4 seed and top wild card. The Cubs (89-73) are the No. 5 seed. It is a rematch of last year’s NL Wild Card Series, which Chicago won at Wrigley Field. The probable pitchers are Matthew Boyd (10-5, 3.91) for the Cubs and Michael King (12-10, 3.21) for the Padres. DraftKings lists the Padres at -126 on the moneyline and the Cubs at +105, with the total at 7.
Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres Odds, Run Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres |
|---|---|
| Series | NL Wild Card Series, Game 1 (best-of-three, all games at Petco Park) |
| Seeds | Chicago Cubs No. 5 | San Diego Padres No. 4 (NL) |
| 2026 Records | Chicago Cubs 89-73 | San Diego Padres 91-71 |
| Run Line | CHC +1.5 (-206) | SD -1.5 (+168) |
| Moneyline | Chicago Cubs: +105 | San Diego Padres: -126 |
| Total | O/U 7 (o-117 / u-103) |
| Venue | Petco Park (San Diego, Calif.) |
| Date / Time | Tuesday, September 29, 2026 — 10:00 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | Peacock / NBCSN |
| Probable Pitchers | Chicago Cubs: Matthew Boyd (10-5, 3.91) | San Diego Padres: Michael King (12-10, 3.21) |
| Managers | Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell | San Diego Padres: Craig Stammen |
| 2026 Season Series | Cubs won the 2026 season series 5-1 |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, ~7:25 PM PT. Opening line: Padres -121 / Cubs +101, total 7.5 (DraftKings open; SI, Sept. 27). Lines move, so check your sportsbook before first pitch. Official Wild Card Series rosters are due Tuesday morning.
Cubs vs Padres Wild Card Series Context
Format: The NL Wild Card Series is a best-of-three, and all three games are at Petco Park, home of the higher-seeded Padres. Game 1 is Tuesday at 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM PT), Game 2 is Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 10:00 PM ET, and Game 3, if necessary, is Thursday, Oct. 1 (time TBD). Games 1 and 2 are on Peacock and NBCSN. The winner advances to the NLDS against the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Brewers.
Head-to-head: Chicago went 5-1 against San Diego in 2026. The Cubs took two of three at Petco Park in late April and swept three at Wrigley Field from June 29 to July 1. The last meeting was a 23-3 Cubs rout (MLB.com).
Postseason history: This is the third postseason meeting between the clubs and their second straight in the Wild Card Series. Last year at Wrigley Field, the Cubs won Games 1 and 3 by identical 3-1 scores around a 3-0 loss in Game 2 (MLB.com, NBC Sports).
Chicago Cubs Preview: Wild Card Game 1
Season in review: Craig Counsell’s Cubs finished 89-73, second in the NL Central and 14 games behind Milwaukee, and went 43-38 on the road. Chicago scored an NL-high 850 runs and allowed 703. The team hit .251 with a .767 OPS and 220 homers and posted a 4.12 ERA (MLB Stats API). The Cubs led MLB with 804 RBIs (NBC Sports).
Key players: Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit 45 home runs with 107 RBIs and 41 stolen bases (NBC Sports), becoming the seventh member of the 40-40 club (MLB.com). His nine leadoff homers rank third in MLB. Alex Bregman went 4-for-4 with two homers as the DH in Sunday’s finale. He is playing through multiple fractures to his left cheek area after being hit by a foul ball on Sept. 20, and Counsell was undecided Monday about whether Bregman can play third base (ESPN). Cubs starters have a 4.27 ERA, tied for 18th in MLB (MLB.com).
Injuries: RHP Kevin Gausman (left shoulder soreness) threw a bullpen session Sunday, and Counsell said he “is gonna pitch this series.” Clay Holmes, Shota Imanaga and David Peterson are the other options for Games 2 and 3 (ESPN). ESPN lists Justin Steele (elbow, 60-day IL), Phil Maton (knee, 60-day IL), Trent Thornton (ankle, 15-day IL) and Edward Cabrera (bereavement list).
San Diego Padres Preview: Wild Card Game 1
Season in review: Craig Stammen’s Padres finished 91-71, second in the NL West and nine games behind the Dodgers. They went 51-30 at Petco Park and 8-2 over their last 10 games. San Diego scored 722 runs and allowed 681. The team hit .244 with a .717 OPS and posted a 3.99 ERA. Its 164 stolen bases are the most of any team playing Tuesday (MLB Stats API).
Key players: Manny Machado led the team with 30 home runs. Fernando Tatis Jr. ranked third in MLB with 181 hits and sixth with 38 steals (NBC Sports). Tatis and Jackson Merrill are heating up late, and the back of the bullpen features Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller (MLB.com). Nick Pivetta is widely expected to start Game 2, and Robbie Ray or Walker Buehler could open a Game 3 (ESPN).
Injuries: ESPN lists Joe Musgrove (elbow, 60-day IL), Lucas Giolito (elbow, 60-day IL), Casey Mize (ankle, 15-day IL), Jeremiah Estrada (shoulder, 15-day IL) and Miguel Andujar (wrist fracture, 10-day IL).
Starting Pitchers: Matthew Boyd vs Michael King
Cubs: Matthew Boyd (LHP, 10-5, 3.91 ERA) — 22 starts, 126.2 IP, 96 strikeouts, 39 walks, 1.21 WHIP (MLB Stats API). Boyd allowed eight earned runs over nine innings in two starts against San Diego this season, on April 27 and June 30 (MLB Stats API). He has a 1.66 ERA over 21.2 career postseason innings, and in Game 1 of last year’s Wild Card Series he held the Padres to one run in 4.1 innings (SI, ESPN).
Padres: Michael King (RHP, 12-10, 3.21 ERA) — 32 starts, 185.0 IP, 159 strikeouts, 70 walks, 1.18 WHIP (MLB Stats API). King made every start this season and posted a 2.93 ERA in the second half (SI). He did not face the Cubs in the 2026 regular season. In last year’s Wild Card Series he threw a scoreless relief inning with three strikeouts in Game 3 (SI).
How to Watch Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres – Wild Card Game 1
Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
First pitch: 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM PT)
Venue: Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
TV / Streaming: Peacock and NBCSN (Dave Flemming with Jim Deshaies and Mark Grant, reporter John Fanta; Clayton Kershaw on “Inside the Pitch”). SAP on Peacock. ESPN Radio has national radio coverage.
Game 2 is Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 10:00 PM ET, and Game 3, if necessary, is Thursday, Oct. 1. Check the run line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the September 29, 2026 first pitch, and look for official rosters and lineups closer to game time.