Citizens Bank Park hosts an MLB battle between the Philadelphia Phillies and the visiting Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

Chicago puts its faith in starter Jeff Samardzija to earn a win and boost his personal mark of 6-10. Getting the ball for the Phillies is Ethan Martin, who owns a 0-1 record on the season with a 12.47 ERA.



View Chi Cubs vs Philadelphia Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Those who planned on backing the visitors in this one found the Cubs listed as favorites of 101 at most sportsbooks, including Sportsbook. Total bettors saw the number open in the area of 8.5, check for updates at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings:
The MLB Power Rankings at Odds Shark show the National League's No. 10-rated Cubs taking on the National League's No. 15-rated Phillies in this contest.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Philadelphia's No. 12 ranked National League offense (3.8 runs per game) against a Cubs defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 9 in the National League at 4.2 runs allowed per game. The Phillies have been averaging 8.5 hits per game, more than the Cubs have managed so far this season (8.3 hits on average).

Philadelphia owns the National League's No. 15 defense, allowing 4.6 men per game to cross the plate. That contrasts with Chicago's National League No. 9-rated defense.

In their last action, Chicago was a 5-2 Sportsbook on the road against the Phillies. Bettors on Chicago at +160 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (7) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. Chicago looks to continue its winning ways following a victory last time out against the Phillies, a 5-2 final on Wednesday in support of Travis Wood at Citizens Bank Park.




Chicago Cubs Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
Before playing St. Louis are 5-5
After playing Philadelphia are 4-6
After a win are 2-8

Philadelphia Phillies Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
Before playing Washington are 7-3
After playing Chi Cubs are 8-2
After a loss are 2-8

A few Cubs at Phillies trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs' last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs' last 5 games
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs' last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games


Next up:
Chi Cubs at St. Louis, Friday, August 9
Philadelphia at Washington, Friday, August 9