Following a pleasant start to the season that saw the Chicago Cubs win six of their first 10 games, reality set in. Nobody expected the Cubs to keep up that pace and losses in 11 of their next 14 games are more of an indicator of where the club will be. It’s a different story for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are once again at the top of the heap of World Series contenders.
LA made a statement earlier in the week sweeping the NL West rival Giants to further strengthen their hold on the division. The teams wrap up a weekend set on Sunday Night Baseball with Walker Buehler set to take the bump for the Dodgers against Marcus Stroman.
Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs Date/Time
This NL contest takes place on Sunday, May 8, 2022 at 7:08 p.m. ET from historic Wrigley Field in Chicago. The game will air live on ESPN.
Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers | Chicago Cubs (Check Back Later)
Over/Under: (Check Back Later)
Odds Analysis
They may not have the best record in MLB but it’s hard to argue the Dodgers aren’t the best team through the first month. They won three straight ahead of the weekend series in Chicago outscoring their opponents 18-5. Two of those wins came over the Giants in the first matchups between the clubs that won 213 games between them in 2021. The Dodgers had their run of eight straight NL West titles ended by their rival last season after matching the club record for wins. That seemingly inspired the group to get back on top.
So far things have worked out. Through the first 23 games the Dodgers have the highest winning percentage in the NL and second-best in the majors trailing only the Yankees. The lineup was considered one of the best in baseball entering the season and the group hasn’t disappointed. LA leads the majors averaging nearly 5.0 runs per game despite a collective .239 average and 23 homers. The scary thing is that those numbers should only improve.
When a team is mired in a slump even well played games end up in defeat. To a man the Cubs said they played a strong game against the White Sox on Thursday, however the result was a familiar one. The Cubs were swept in the two-game series losing for the fifth time in six games and for the seventh time in their previous nine outings. The Cubs haven’t won consecutive games since mid-April and followed their last four victories with multiple game losing streaks.
It’s a hard cycle to bust, especially when the talent level is below most teams. The Cubs enter the series with a record of 9-15 and they are among the worst at $329 in the red. They average 4.2 runs per game to rank in the middle of the MLB pack, and that includes a game they won 21-0 a few weeks ago. They have gotten two straight solid starts from Sunday’s probable Marcus Stroman, who blanked Milwaukee over 7.0 innings in his last start.
Probable Pitchers
Including games played on Thursday there have been exactly two complete games thrown by starting pitchers this season. LA’s Walker Buehler (3-1, 2.12 ERA) tossed one of them two starts ago picking up his first career shutout with a gem against Arizona. Buehler went the distance allowing only three hits with 10 Ks and no walks in the 4-0 win. He followed that with 5.0 shutout innings against the Tigers in another Dodgers victory. Over those two starts Buehler has allowed nine hits with only one walk for a sparkling 0.71 WHIP while fanning 15.
Buehler has never beaten the Cubs in four career starts and five appearances going 0-2. His numbers are above his career totals in 25.2 innings with a 4.56 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. In those outings the Cubs were a more experienced club and not going through a rebuild like they are now. The Dodgers were winners in four of Buehler’s previous five starts.
The Cubs acquired Marcus Stroman (1-3, 5.13 ERA) to anchor their rotation after he turned in a strong 2021 with the Mets. Stroman was 10-13 with a 3.02 ERA over 179 innings. The start of the season was rough with Stroman allowing 16 hits and 13 runs over 13.1 innings of his first three starts. The Cubs last all three cashing the OVER each time.
The last two starts were more what the Cubs expected from the veteran righthander. He allowed two earned runs in 6.0 innings against the Braves and he blanked the Brewers on two hits over 7.0 innings last time out. Stroman yielded eight hit with only one walk across 13.0 innings in those starts and looks much sharper in his routine.
Dodgers vs Cubs Predictions
The Cubs aren’t as bad as Cincinnati so they will at least avoid the basement in the NL Central. However, the rebuild is well underway and the club will struggle. The lineup will have problems against elite hurlers, which Buehler certainly is, so despite the heavy price it’s worth backing the Dodgers on the moneyline and runline.
Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers and OVER
