The Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Chicago Cubs in Game 2 of a doubleheader. Check out our MLB odds series, for our Dodgers Cubs prediction and pick.
In this Saturday nightcap, Tyler Anderson takes the ball for the Dodgers, while Daniel Norris gets the assignment for the Cubs in what will be a bullpen game for Chicago.
Anderson has a 2.55 ERA. He is a back-end-of-the-rotation starter who is asked to pitch four or five innings, not get hit hard, keep the Dodgers in the game, and hand the ball over to the bullpen midway through. Anderson has done exactly that for manager Dave Roberts, pitching no more than five innings in any of his starts but never giving up more than two runs in any outing. Anderson has allowed only one run in three different starts this year. He has made the grade for Los Angeles.
Norris hasn't started a game yet for the Cubs this season. He has made a bunch of relief appearances, generally one inning in length. He has given up a run in some of those appearances, so his ERA is at 6.00. There isn't a whole lot to read into those numbers since the sample size is really small. Norris has pitched just six innings with the Cubs. It's hard to extrapolate much of anything from the data available. This is going to be a bullpen game, anyway, so that might be the bigger detail in a study of the Dodgers Cubs odds and a possible Dodgers Cubs prediction.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Dodgers-Cubs MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Cubs Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-105)
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-114)
Over: 7.5 (-104)
Under: 7.5 (-118)
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Why The Dodgers Could Cover the Spread
The Dodgers hammered the Cubs 7-0 in Game 1 of this split-session Saturday doubleheader, so they have to feel good going into Game 2. Los Angeles sprayed the ball around the field in scoring seven runs against the Cubs. Hitters made good contact and worked counts. That's what the Dodgers do when they are at their best. Los Angeles had a little lull a week ago when losing two straight games to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the Dodgers have straightened things out, sweeping the San Francisco Giants this past week and generally restoring order in the National League West.
What also has to be said here is that the Cubs, who just got shut out in Game 1, do not have a dynamic batting order. Seiya Suzuki appears to be a special player, but he doesn't have much help in this lineup. The fire sale of Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant has taken a toll on the team and the fan base. The Cubs' penny-pinching ways really did have an effect on their performance and results. Imagine that.
Why The Cubs Could Cover the Spread
After getting crushed in Game 1, the Cubs are going to want to come out strong in Game 2 and get a split of this doubleheader. The Dodgers are a great team, but they — like any other elite MLB team — will lose at least 50 games in a season. The Dodgers have already had some wobbly patches. They lost three of four to the Diamondbacks and Tigers a week ago, so they are as vulnerable to a stumble as anyone else. It's just one baseball game.
Also, if you think that a bullpen game is to the Cubs' disadvantage, and makes things easy when formulating a Dodgers Cubs pick, think again. The Cubs' bullpen has been one of the better bullpens in the National League. Chicago has a lot of weaknesses, but the pen isn't one of them.
Final Dodgers-Cubs Prediction & Pick
The Cubs' bullpen is good, but the Dodgers are the class of the National League and should feel very confident after their easy Game 1 win.
Final Dodgers-Cubs Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5
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