While it originally looked like the Los Angeles Dodgers were going to be locked in another tense race for the National League West flag, the Dodgers have put together a five-game winning streak and are starting to open up a six-game lead over second-place San Diego.
Tony Gonsolin Analysis
Thursday night, the Dodgers received a strong start from Tony Gonsolin, who improved his record to 7-0 by scattering four hits over seven innings and only allowing two runs. Chicago had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Anyone looking at the MLB standings can see the Cubs are starting to play more consistent baseball. Chicago is 6-4 over its last ten games and has moved into a tie for third place in the NL Central with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Cubs will hope to win a few in Los Angeles this weekend to prove they can hang with the big boys.
Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Cubs Stats
Making MLB picks today on the Cubs will require weighing how well people think Keegan Thompson will pitch for Chicago. Thompson has put up a 7-3 record with a 3.41 ERA. He has 66 strikeouts in 71.1 innings of work.
Thompson pitched 2.2 innings of relief against Los Angeles on May 7 in a 6-2 Dodgers’ win at Wrigley Field.
While Thompson was only credited with one earned run allowed, he did give up a three-run double after inheriting runners from starter Daniel Norris.
Cubs’ Pitchers
Chicago’s pitching staff as a whole has made it difficult for the Cubs to have many favorable MLB matchups this season. The Cubs rank 25th in the ERA with a 4.67 ERA as a staff.
Offensively, Chicago’s offense has been solid, if unspectacular. The Cubs rank 16th in the league by scoring 4.36 runs per game. Chicago also bats .248, which is 12th in the league.
Dodgers Stats
Trying to find any sort of MLB matchups where other teams can match the pitching depth of the Los Angeles Dodgers is a mostly futile one.
Tyler Anderson Analysis
A night after seeing one of the Dodgers’ starting pitchers go to 11-0, Los Angeles will trot out left-hander Tyler Anderson to the mound, who has a 9-1 record with a 3.09 ERA.
Anderson pitched 5.0 inning against Chicago on May 7, striking out seven and allowing two earned runs. While facing Los Angeles’ pitching is intimidating enough, trying to get outs against their lineup is also difficult.
Dodgers Runs Per game Breakdown
The Dodgers are second in the league in runs per game, producing five runs per game. Los Angeles has also hit 106 home runs, which ranks seventh in the league.
Mookie Betts leads the Dodgers with 20 home runs. Will Smith (13), Trea Turner (11), Cody Bellinger, and Freddie Freeman (10) also have hit ten or more home runs for Los Angeles.
Anyone making MLB picks today should be looking at some of these recent betting trends.
Cubs Against Dodgers Betting Trends
- The Chicago Cubs are 42-41 against the run line.
- The Dodgers are 48-34 against the run line.
- The over has gone 40-39-4 in Chicago’s games this season.
- The over has gone 31-48-8 in Los Angeles’ games this season.
- Chicago is 19-28 straight up following a loss.
- Los Angeles is 34-17 this season following a win.
Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Predictions
MLB odds have Los Angeles as a -235 favorite. The over/under has been set at 8.5 Chicago’s offense will once again be challenged by an excellent pitcher in Anderson.
The Cubs, however, have shown they are capable of hanging with some of the best teams in the National League over the past few weeks.
Before coming to Los Angeles, the Cubs took two out of three games from the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
Who to Bet On
The Dodgers, however, have shown this season that they are capable of getting to a vulnerable Chicago pitching staff.
Los Angeles’ offense doesn’t provide any sort of relief for pitching staffs hoping for a breather from the Dodgers’ power. Expect Los Angeles to put up enough runs to hand Chicago its second straight defeat.
MLB Pick: Dodgers -1.5 (1.95)
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