After winning the first two games of a four-game series, the Los Angeles Dodgers hope to make it three in a row against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night. The Dodgers won in extra innings on Friday and are favored with a -275 moneyline on Saturday, while Chicago’s moneyline is set at +225. The game also has an over/under of eight runs.
Friday’s win was the fifth in a row for the Dodgers, who have once again become one of the hottest teams in baseball. Los Angeles is now 9-1 in the team’s last ten games. That has allowed the Dodgers to build their lead atop the NL West to six games while also giving them the best record in the National League.
The Cubs, on the other hand, are starring down the barrel of a lost season. Friday’s loss was Chicago’s 50th of the season, dropping the Cubs 16 games under .500 and 11 games out of a playoff spot. They’ve also lost four of their last six games.
The Stor Show
Marcus Stroman is expected to come off the IL for the second time this year on Saturday and start for the Cubs. When he’s been healthy enough to pitch, Stroman has struggled, going 2-5 with a 5.32 ERA over nine years. He also got roughed up in a rehab start at triple-A, giving up five runs on seven hits over 2.2 innings.
To make matters worse, the Cubs haven’t been producing much offensively in recent days. Chicago’s lineup has scored three runs or less in six of the team’s last seven games, averaging 3.3 runs per game during that span. While Seiya Suzuki has provided some power lately, most of the Chicago lineup has fallen into a slump over the past week.
Kersh on the Hill
Chicago’s struggling lineup will have to deal with facing Clayton Kershaw, who will make his 11th start of the season. Kershaw has also missed time due to injuries this year but has pitched well when healthy, going 5-2 with a 2.57 ERA over ten starts. Outside of one subpar start at Coors Field, the former Cy Young winner has allowed one run or less in three of his last four starts.
Of course, the Dodgers aren’t exactly clicking offensively right now. Despite winning five straight games, Los Angeles is only averaging 3.8 runs per game over the team’s last six games. But while Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman have both cooled off lately, Mookie Betts has returned from the IL red-hot, and Justin Turner has caught fire, hitting .480 with a 1.201 OPS over his last seven games to lead LA’s offensive efforts.
Keep It Simple
It would have to take a drastic reversal from both Stroman and the Chicago lineup for the Cubs to win this game. There is little reason to think that Stroman can come off the IL and have success against the Dodgers, whereas Kershaw should have few problems handling the Cubs.
Bet on the Dodgers to win on Saturday and cover the run line.
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