The Chicago Cubs (11-6, 5-4 home) host the Los Angeles Dodgers (9-10, 3-4 away) in the first game of a four-game series in the Windy City.
Chicago and Los Angeles just played a three-game set last week in California, with the Cubs taking two of three from the hosts.
The first pitch of Thursday’s series opener is at 7:40 p.m. EST inside the confines of Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago is the betting favorite (-120 moneyline), and the over/under total is 10.5 runs.
What to Know – Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have dropped three of their last four games and have won just four games since starting the year 5-2. Los Angeles finds itself in second place in the NL West, trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks by two games.
Right-hander Michael Grove (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 1.62 WHIP) is the expected starter for the visitors. Grove looks to capitalize on his last start, where he allowed one run over 5.2 innings. This season, the 26-year-old has logged 13.0 innings, surrendered 13 earned runs, and 16 hits, walked five, and struck out 14 batters.
Los Angeles is 21st in the majors with a .232 team batting average and scoring 5.2 runs per game. The Dodgers pitching staff sits 16th in the MLB, sporting a 4.20 team earned run average.
Max Muncy has been the unlikely hero of the L.A. offense to date, swatting a team-high seven home runs and driving in 15 runs. J.D. Martinez has added 14 RBIs, while Freddie Freeman is batting .311 with 16 runs scored.
What to Know – Chicago Cubs
Chicago is one of the hottest teams in baseball, winning four in a row and six of its last eight games. The Cubs are tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates for second place in the NL Central.
The expected starter for Chicago is right-hander Jameson Taillon (0-2, 4.50 ERA, 1.36 WHIP). Taillon has failed to pick up his first victory through his first three starts but is coming off a scoreless effort in his last trip to the mound. The 31-year-old has 14.0 innings under his belt, allowing seven earned runs on 15 hits and four walks with 16 strikeouts.
Chicago is second in the league sporting a .286 team batting average while averaging 5.8 runs per outing. The pitching staff for the Cubs sits fifth in the majors with a 3.07 team ERA.
Patrick Wisdom is tied for the major league lead with eight home runs and leads the Cubs with 15 RBIs. Ian Happ has added 13 RBIs, and offseason addition Cody Bellinger has driven in 12 runs.
The Pick is In
Both of these pitchers on the mound have given up just one home run combined this season, but the weather conditions are going to be favorable for a high-scorer affair.
The winds will be hovering between 12-14 miles out to center field, so expect a lot of runs scored between these two offenses.
The Pick: Cubs/Dodgers O10.5
