The Chicago Cubs will travel to the desert to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game series starting on Friday. The first pitch is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET on Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
Cubs at Diamondbacks Odds
Most MLB odds have the Diamondbacks favored on the runline with +146 odds, while the Cubs are underdogs with -176 odds on the spread. Bettors can get the D’Backs straight-up for -130 and the Cubs for +110.
The oddsmakers are essentially saying that Arizona will be one of the more popular MLB picks today, spurred by their recent form.
Matchup Information
Cubs at Diamondbacks Betting Preview
Drew Smyly (1-3, 3.04 ERA): Smyly’s last appearance on the mound saw him give up two earned runs in 4.1 innings to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who went on to win that game 7-0. He has given up a combined five earned runs in his last three starts after starting the season with consecutive shutouts.
Zach Davies: (1-1, 3.34 ERA): A former Cub himself, Davies is coming off of a 6.1-inning shutout against the Colorado Rockies that still ended in a 4-1 defeat; he actually has not allowed a run in either of his starts this month, but prior to that, he had shown little control of his pitches.
Cubs at Diamondbacks Betting Predictions
The Diamondbacks have been ascending in the rankings as of late, overcoming the stigma surrounding their name that was largely incurred during last season’s horrendous campaign.
It would have been difficult to forecast, but Arizona is actually one of the hotter teams in MLB betting trends, having won nine of their last 12 games and suddenly become competitive in a loaded National League West that already had four guaranteed challengers.
Arizona has been very poor in the box in terms of consistency— the worst in the MLB statistically—, and they do not have one standout slugger to help them get over the hump in games where they cannot find their way onto base, which has been many thus far; despite that, their defense has been impressive, and they have stolen many games that they should have lost.
Davies is not the team’s best pitcher, but he has found his footing lately and could very well continue his excellent form against a Cubs team that is not exactly the best bunch of batters the league has to offer.
Chicago has done the exact opposite of Arizona in losing nine of their last 12 outings, though they did also win two of three recent games against the impressive San Diego Padres.
The Cubs were expected to struggle severely this season after trading away key pieces such as Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, and Anthony Rizzo last season, but they have at least been a more formidable opponent than many expected from them thus far.
Wilson Contreras has steadied the team in the box as they too do not have any standout individual home-run hitters and have to rely more on a team-based approach. To their credit, they have hit the ball much better than Arizona, but still not at an elite level.
Smyly can be up and down, so betting on how he will do is always tricky— he had a decent outing in his last start and is going against a team that really struggles to hit the ball, so he should be fine.
All in all, the best bet here is to go for the Diamondbacks on the moneyline as they continue their winning ways, and for points total bettors, take the under as both teams lack the explosive capability and are fairly inconsistent in their production.
Baseball, like many sports, is about finding your groove as a team, and Arizona has that going for them right now, even if they still have not quite figured out how to hit the baseball. It is unlikely, but if this team somehow continues to produce results, they could even look into bringing in some help near the trade deadline.
Under: 8.5
Moneyline: Diamondbacks -130
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.