Can Dodgers Exorcise Postseason Demons vs Cubs in NLCS?

After prevailing in a tight five-game NL Division Series against the Washington Nationals, the Chicago Cubs are set to make their third straight appearance in the NLCS in a heavyweight battle vs the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Shark Bites
  • The Dodgers are 5-1 in Clayton Kershaw's last six home starts vs Cubs.
  • The Cubs are 1-5 in their last six games vs a left-handed starter.
  • The OVER is 5-0 in the Dodgers’ last five home games.

Clayton Kershaw will get the ball for the Dodgers, while the Cubs hadn’t announced a starting pitcher at the time of writing. Kershaw (1-0, 5.68) beat the D-backs in his lone appearance but gave up four solo homers while allowing five hits in 6.1 innings of work. The ace has a history of struggling in the postseason, so tonight’s matchup will be huge for him to get back on track.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon indicated he was still deciding between Jose Quintana and John Lackey in Game 1. Quintana is a specialist vs left-handed batters (which the Dodgers feature heavily in their lineup) while Lackey has an excellent track record in the playoffs, going 8-6 with a 3.27 ERA in 26 career postseason outings.

When Kershaw gets the ball vs the Cubbies, the UNDER is paying out. The UNDER is 5-1 in Kershaw’s last six home starts vs the Cubbies and 9-2 in his previous 11 overall against Chicago.

Prediction-scoring formulas run on this game pick a potential 5.3-2.2 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

107-58 Los Angeles battles the Cubs, currently with a 95-72 mark. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Los Angeles vs Chicago injuries news.

The Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings have the Los Angeles Dodgers at No. 7 and the Chicago Cubs at No. 1 heading into this contest.

Statistical Matchup

Offensively, the game matches up Los Angeles Dodgers No. 12 ranked offense (4.79 runs per game) against a Chicago Cubs defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 7 at 4.28 runs allowed per game. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been averaging 8.36 hits per game, less than the Chicago Cubs have managed so far this season (8.57 hits on average).

Comparing defensive stats, Chicago owns the No. 6-rated road mark, allowing 4.05 runs per game on the highway. Los Angeles, on the other hand, rates No. 11 in scoring at home.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

The Cubs grabbed a win last time out, defeating G Gonzalez and the Nationals 9-8 on Thursday at Nationals Park.

Los Angeles rolled to a 3-1 win against Arizona on Monday, as Y Darvish and the Dodgers' bats led the team to victory at Chase Field.

Betting Trends
  • Chi Cubs is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
  • Chi Cubs is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games
  • Chi Cubs is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
  • LA Dodgers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
  • LA Dodgers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games
  • LA Dodgers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home

Next Betting Matchups

Chicago at Los Angeles, Sunday, October 15th

The Dodgers are 5-1 in Kershaw's last six home starts vs Cubs. The Cubs are 1-5 in their last six games vs a left-handed starter.away The OVER is 5-0 in the Dodgers last five home games.home
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