Saturday, August 29, 2015

Dodger Stadium

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Jon Lester (8-9) vs. Mat Latos (4-9)

The Chicago Cubs head to Dodger Stadium on Saturday to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jon Lester is the probable starter for the Cubs and he'll face Mat Latos of the Dodgers. The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at -120 and Los Angeles at +110. The over/under was set at 7. The Cubs have a 55-63 over/under record and a 59-67 run line mark, meaning they cover 47% of the time. The Dodgers have a 61-60 over/under record and a 55-71 run line mark, which means they are covering the spread 43% of the time.

The Cubs head into this matchup with a 73-53 record, including 34-27 on the road. Jon Lester has a 8-9 record on the season, an earned run average of 3.44 and a 1.20 WHIP. He's pitched 157 innings thus far while surrendering 149 hits over that time and when he starts, the Cubs are 14-11. Against the over/under, the Cubs are 8-15 in his starts. His teammates are averaging 3.3 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 365 hits on the season and have an earned run average of 3.55. Teams are hitting .237 against the bullpen while being struck out 391 times and walking 144 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 8.24 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.68 batters per nine. They are 6th in the league in team earned run average at 3.57.

Chicago ranks 30th in the league in team batting average at .241 while hitting .246 on the road. The Cubs on-base percentage sits at .318, which puts them at 14th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .392. They rank 29th in baseball with 8.13 hits per game and Anthony Rizzo leads the team with 131.

With a 42-20 home record, Los Angeles will hope to improve on their 70-56 overall mark. Mat Latos has a record of 4-9 while sporting an earned run average of 4.81 on the year with a 1.27 WHIP. He's pitched 103 innings thus far while surrendering 103 hits over that time in which the Dodgers are 7-12. Against the over/under, the Dodgers are 11-8 when he starts. His teammates score an average of 3.3 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 331 hits on the season and have a team earned run average of 4.14. Teams are hitting .245 against the Dodgers bullpen while being struck out 391 times and walking 120 times this season. As a team, Los Angeles has allowed 8.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.37 batters per nine. They are 14th in the league in team earned run average at 3.85.

They rank 27th in the league in team batting average with a .244 average while hitting .244 at home. The Dodgers on-base percentage sits at .305, which puts them at 25th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .388. They rank 28th in baseball with 8.15 hits per game and Adrian Gonzalez leads the team with 130.

In terms of team defense, the Cubs have a fielding percentage of .982 with 84 total errors, 1,291 assists and 3,413 put outs. For the home team, they hold a .988 team fielding percentage while committing 55 errors, accumulating 1326 assists and compiling 3,342 put outs.

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 55-63 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 59-67 against the run line so far this season

Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Trends

The Los Angeles Dodgers are 61-60 against the over/under so far this season

The Los Angeles Dodgers are 55-71 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago Cubs

08/27/15 C David Ross Personal expected to miss another 2 days
08/27/15 CF Dexter Fowler Shin "?" Friday vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
08/25/15 P Jason Motte Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/24)
08/25/15 RF Jorge Soler Oblique Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/24)
07/29/15 P Neil Ramirez Abdominal Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/29)
04/15/15 2B Tommy La Stella Ribs Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/9)
04/06/15 P Jacob Turner Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)

Los Angeles Dodgers

08/28/15 1B Adrian Gonzalez Knee is upgraded to expected to be in the starting lineup Friday vs. Chicago Cubs
08/28/15 C Yasmani Grandal Knee probable Friday vs. Chicago Cubs
08/27/15 2B Howie Kendrick Hamstring Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/10)
08/27/15 RF Yasiel Puig Hamstring expected to miss Friday vs. Chicago Cubs
08/13/15 P Joel Peralta Neck Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/10)
08/11/15 P Carlos Frias Back Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/2)
04/28/15 P Brandon McCarthy Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/26), out for season
04/06/15 P Bronson Arroyo Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/6), out for season
04/06/15 P Hyun-Jin Ryu Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27), out for season

Tony's Pick: Take the Cubs

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