The pitching staff is a big reason why the Philadelphia Phillies have shocked many this season but Nick Pivetta still gets less shine than his fellow starters. The second-year man has a 1.93 ERA while holding opponents to a .192 batting average over his last five starts. Pivetta will look to continue rolling when the Phillies visit Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon.
- Tyler Chatwood has 49 walks on the season – 10 more than any other pitcher in baseball.
- The Phillies are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road against the Cubs.
- The Phillies are slashing .218/.296/.351 in 31 road games this season.
Despite the excellent pitching from the starters, the Phillies find themselves 3-7 in their last 10 games due to their struggling bats. That 10-game span has seen the Phillies hit just .208 while averaging a ridiculous 10.7 strikeouts per game. Philadelphia is a bit of an oddity at the plate with the team recording the fourth-most strikeouts in baseball but also the fourth-most walks. However, their eye for the strike zone has been getting worse as the season goes on.
The Phillies will need to be disciplined at the plate when they face Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood on Thursday. Chatwood has struggled to find the plate at times this season – he leads the majors in walks by a wide margin – and the Phillies should not be too eager to take undisciplined swings. Since the start of May, Chatwood has also posted a 5.40 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 27 walks in six starts.
Philadelphia Phillies vs Chicago Cubs Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Chicago Cubs bring a 34-24 record to the battle against the 32-27 Phillies. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Chicago vs Philadelphia injuries news.
The Cubs-Phillies odds would favor the Cubs if the betting lines were set according to our power ranks. Chicago is rated No. 3 in the current OddsShark poll, while Philadelphia is at No. 17.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits the Chicago Cubs' No. 3-rated offense, averaging 5.19 runs per game, against a Philadelphia Phillies defense that ranks No. 7 at 3.75 in runs allowed per game. The Cubs have averaged 9.4 hits per game so far, more than Phillies batters have averaged on the year (7.69 hits per game).
Comparing defensive stats, Philadelphia owns the No. 16-rated road mark, allowing 4.39 runs per game on the highway. Chicago, on the other hand, rates No. 4 in scoring at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Philadelphia batters were mowed down by Jose Quintana in their last start, falling 7-5 against Chicago while striking out 10 times on Wednesday at Wrigley Field.
- Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
- Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
- Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
- Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
- Chicago is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games at home
- Chicago is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Philadelphia home to Milwaukee, Friday, June 8
Chicago home to Pittsburgh, Friday, June 8
