Friday, July 24, 2015

Wrigley Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Jerome Williams (3-7) vs. Jon Lester (5-8)

The Philadelphia Phillies head to Wrigley Field on Friday to take on the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are Jerome Williams for the Phillies and Jon Lester for the Cubs. The opening line for this matchup has Philadelphia at -153 and Chicago at +143. The over/under was set at 7.5. The Phillies have a 51-38 over/under record and a 46-51 run line mark, meaning they cover 47% of the time. The Cubs are 43-51 against the run line and have a 37-50 over/under record. They cover the spread 46% of the time.

The Phillies show up with a 34-63 record, including 11-37 on the road. Jerome Williams has a 3-7 record on the season, an earned run average of 6.43 and a 1.70 WHIP. In his starts, the Phillies are 4-10 over his 70 innings pitched this season while giving up 100 hits during those innings. Against the over/under, the Phillies are 8-5 in his starts. His teammates are averaging 3.7 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 325 hits on the season and have a earned run average of 3.62. Teams are hitting .257 against the bullpen while being struck out 319 times and walking 141 times this season. As a team, Philadelphia has allowed 10.12 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.38 batters per nine. They are 29th in the league in team earned run average at 4.71.

Philadelphia ranks 23rd in the league in team batting average at .246 while hitting .249 on the road. The Phillies on-base percentage sits at .298, which puts them at 28th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .364. They rank 22nd in baseball with 8.37 hits per game and Ben Revere leads the team with 105.

Chicago is 25-20 at home while holding a 51-43 overall record on the season. Jon Lester has a record of 5-8 while sporting an earned run average of 3.37 on the year with a 1.21 WHIP. In his starts, the Cubs are 10-9 and he has allowed 111 hits over 117.2 innings pitched this season. Against the over/under, the Cubs are 5-12 when he starts. His teammates score an average of 2.7 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 254 hits on the season and have a team earned run average of 3.20. Teams are hitting .229 against the Cubs bullpen while being struck out 281 times and walking 120 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 7.93 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.6 batters per nine. They are 5th in the league in team earned run average at 3.32.

They rank 26th in the league in team batting average with a .239 average while hitting .229 at home. The Cubs on-base percentage sits at .316, which puts them at 16th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .372. They rank 25th in baseball with 8.14 hits per game and Anthony Rizzo leads the team with 98.

In terms of team defense, the Phillies have a fielding percentage of .981 with 69 total errors, 938 assists and 2,559 put outs. For the home team, they hold a .982 team fielding percentage while committing 66 errors, accumulating 959 assists and compiling 2,555 put outs.

Philadelphia Phillies Betting Trends

The Philadelphia Phillies are 51-38 against the over/under so far this season

The Philadelphia Phillies are 46-51 against the run line so far this season

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 37-50 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 43-51 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Philadelphia Phillies

07/23/15 3B Maikel Franco Elbow is upgraded to probable Friday vs. Chicago Cubs
07/21/15 P Chad Billingsley Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/19)
07/02/15 P Aaron Harang Foot Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/2)
06/23/15 2B Chase Utley Ankle Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (6/22)
04/06/15 P Jonathan Pettibone Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)
04/06/15 P Mario Hollands Arch Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/6)
04/04/15 P Cliff Lee Arm Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/16)

Chicago Cubs

07/17/15 C Miguel Montero Thumb Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/12)
06/29/15 P Tsuyoshi Wada Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (6/23)
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)

Guy's Pick: Take the Cubs

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