The Los Angeles Dodgers have a penchant for playing well in the regular season before collapsing in the playoffs, but that wasn’t the case in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. On the heels of a big 5-2 win, the Dodgers will look to grab a two-game series lead when they once again welcome the Cubbies to town tonight.
Jon Lester and Rich Hill will get the ball in this one. Lester (13-8, 4.33 ERA) has been fantastic so far in the postseason, allowing two runs and three hits in 9 2/3 innings of work. The veteran is the active leader in playoff innings pitched with 143 1/3 to his name and owns a 9-7 record and 2.57 ERA in 24 playoff appearances.
Hill (12-8, 3.32) got the nod in Game 2 of the NLDS vs Arizona and allowed two runs and three hits over four innings of a no-decision. The 37-year-old is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in five career postseason starts. Hill limited the Cubs to two hits over six scoreless innings of a win in Game 3 of last year’s NLCS.
The UNDER is always a great play when these teams get together. In the last 27 meetings between the Cubs and Dodgers, the UNDER is 20-6-1.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Los Angeles was a -145 moneyline favorites earlier in the day at Sportsbook, based on the starting pitcher matchup. That pairing made odds makers at Sportsbook pick an Sportsbook over under number of 7.5.
Prediction-scoring formulas run on this game pick a potential 5.6-1.3 result in favor of the Dodgers. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming MLB matchups here.
Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Dodgers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
Los Angeles (108-58) will face the 95-73 Cubs in this tilt. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Los Angeles vs Chicago injuries news.
The Los Angeles Dodgers sit at No. 7 in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Chicago Cubs sit at No. 1 on the same chart.
Statistical Matchup
Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features the Los Angeles Dodgers No. 12-ranked scoring average of 4.79 runs per game, against a Chicago Cubs offense rated No. 8 and scoring 5.01 runs per game. The Dodgers have averaged 8.36 hits per game to date this season, less than the Cubs hitters have managed (8.54 per nine innings).
Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping betting factors and Los Angeles has the No. 2-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Cubs own the No. 8 mark in runs allowed.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Next Betting Matchups
Chicago home to Los Angeles, Tuesday, October 17th