A hot streak has elevated the Chicago Cubs ( 22-17, $305 ) to the elite in the National League and they will look to stay there as they finish up their series against San Diego and head to Arizona to take on a Diamondbacks ( 18-21, -$101 ) squad that is hanging around just below .500.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Friday will be the first time these two teams meet this year, so there is no recent experience to draw on for this matchup, going back to last year, however, the Diamondbacks owned the Cubs, winning the last five games they played and five of seven overall.
Of course, a lot of teams had success against Chicago last year, but the Cubs are a different club with a lot of young players coming up and contributing right away.
More recently, the Diamondbacks have won three straight games after ending a four game losing streak. This is a very streaky team so their recent success is key.
Chicago, meanwhile, had dropped two in a row before getting the win against San Diego on Wednesday. Even with those losses, they are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
PITCHING MATCHUP
The Cubs signed Jon Lester to be the ace of this club, but 29-year old right-hander Jake Arrieta isn’t that far behind.
Arrieta was slow to find himself in the major leagues, but after struggling with the Orioles for a few years has blossomed in Chicago.
The righty is building off a 10-5, 2.53 ERA season last year with another strong start. Through eight starts, Arrieta is 4-4 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.038 WHIP in 52 innings. In his last two starts, he’s combined for 15 innings of work, giving up just eight hits and two runs while striking out 17.
Matching up against Arrieta is 26-year old right-hander Rubby De La Rosa who the Diamondbacks acquired from Boston this past winter.
De La Rosa has been far from dominant, but has been serviceable with a 4-2 record and 4.08 ERA in 53 innings. His 1.113 WHIP shows even more potential.
His performance has been a bit spotty, but the youngster has held the Padres scoreless through seven and the Pirates to just a run in seven while also allowing six and five runs to the Giants and Dodgers respectively.
QUOTE TO NOTE
On Wednesday, manager Chip Hales’ Diamondbacks were able to steal a few runs with their hard nose play, out willing the Marlins. Hale talked about the D-backs’ gritty style after the game saying:
“I think every game we try to live that way where every game is a new one.”
Taking it one game at a time and putting it all on the line is essential for a team like Arizona who is often undermanned, particularly on the mound.
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
Arizona’s offense is quite strong, helping them remain relevant despite shortcomings on the mound.
Yasmany Tomas was the biggest offseason acquisition and he is coming around with a .823 OPS and .346 average in his first 27 games in the major leagues. He is a good compliment to Paul Goldschmidt and Mark Trumbo who form a solid middle of the order. Goldschmidt is off to another MVP-type start with a 1.018 OPS while leading the team in home runs ( 10 ), RBIs ( 32 ), walks ( 25 ) and total bases ( 87 ). Trumbo, on the other hand, is OPSing .838 and has six homers to rank second on the club.
Of course, outside of the big boppers, the team has speed in the likes A.J. Pollock and Ender Inciarte and has a deep lineup, though catcher and the middle infield still remains a bit of an issue offensively.
For the Cubs, the offense continues to improve as players gain experience. Over the course of the year, the Cubs rank in the middle of baseball in runs scored, but are actually better than that ranking suggests.
Anthony Rizzo is making a serious early case for MVP consideration with a .333 average and 1.047 OPS through 39 games and Kris Bryant is getting better and better with his .880 OPS. Others like Miguel Montero ( .867 OPS ), Dexter Fowler ( .794 OPS ) and Jorge Soler ( .739 OPS ) add to the team’s versatility and success with speed, on base ability and power.
PROP TALK
Neither team has a great deal of experience against their opposing pitcher, though there are a couple players to keep an eye.
One such player is Dexter Fowler of the Cubs who has faced De La Rosa six times, the most of any of his teammates, and has recorded three hits and a walk. On the other side, Arrieta has a bit more experience, though he has only faced Goldschmidt three times, getting him out each time while punching him out twice.
Aaron Hill, however, is 6 for 14 against him with a home run and pair of doubles.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Offensively, these teams are balanced and on the mound, the Cubs have an edge though De La Rosa has the stuff to compete.
Even so, I have Arrieta continuing to build his resume as one of the game’s better arms and leading the Cubs to victory as the Arizona lineup has one too many holes while the Cubbies have filled their holes with the promotions of guys like Bryant and Addison Russell.
Chicago 6, Arizona 3
The MLB lines for this contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Chicago Cubs versus the Arizona Diamondbacks will commence Saturday, May 23, 2015, at 10:10 p.m. ET at Chase Field. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
