Saturday, June 25, 2016

Marlins Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: John Lackey vs. Paul Clemens

The Chicago Cubs visit Marlins Park on Saturday to play the Miami Marlins. The probable starters are John Lackey for the Cubs and Paul Clemens for the Marlins. The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at -178 and Miami at +168. The over/under was set at 8.5. The Cubs have a 34-35-2 over/under record and a 41-30-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 58% of the time. The Marlins are 36-37-0 against the run line and have a 36-36-1 over/under record. They cover the spread 49% of the time.

The Cubs head into this matchup with a 47-24 record, including 22-13 on the road. Starting pitcher John Lackey has a 7-3 record with an earned run average of 2.78 and a WHIP of 0.98. He has 97 strikeouts over his 94 innings pitched and he has given up 68 hits so far this season. He has allowed 6.5 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.26. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.49 and they have given up 143 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .204 against the bullpen while being struck out 199 times and walking 84 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 6.64 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.03 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 2.70. The Cubs pitchers have collectively given up 474 base hits and 196 earned runs. They have allowed 58 home runs this season and they allow 0.8 homers per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 210 batters and struck out 642. They walk 3 men per 9 innings while striking out 9 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.07 and their FIP as a unit is 3.40.

As a team, Chicago is batting .254, good for 15th in the league while putting together a .266 average away from home. The Cubs hold a .426 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .348 which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 15th in baseball with 8.56 hits per game. Anthony Rizzo comes into this game hitting .277 and his on-base percentage is at .402. He has 67 hits this season along with 43 runs scored and 54 runs batted in. He's struck out 39 times and has walked 41 times. Kris Bryant is hitting .269 and he has an on-base percentage of .360. He has totaled 72 hits so far while scoring 52 runs and he's driven in 49. He has walked 32 times and has struck out 68 times. The Cubs have 608 hits, including 129 doubles and 88 home runs. They've stolen 29 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 16 times. Chicago has walked 305 times this season and they've struck out 598 times as a unit. They've left 521 men on base and have a team OPS of .774. They score 5.25 runs per contest and have scored a total of 373 runs so far this year.

Miami comes into this matchup with a 19-18 home record and a 39-34 overall mark. With an earned run average of 5.40, Paul Clemens has a 0-0 record and a 2.00 WHIP. He has 2 strikeouts over the 5 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 7 hits. He has allowed 12.6 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 11.92. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.68 and they have given up 206 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .232 against the Marlins bullpen while being struck out 246 times and walking 112 times this season. As a team, Miami has allowed 8.33 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.6 batters per nine. They are 9th in the league in team earned run average at 3.91. The Marlins pitchers as a team have surrendered 602 base knocks and 283 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 63 home runs this year and they give up 0.9 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Miami as a staff has walked 272 hitters and struck out 622. They give up a walk 3.8 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.6 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.34 while their FIP as a staff is 3.85.

As a team, they are batting .270, good for 5th in the league while putting together a .257 average at home. The Marlins hold a .409 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .328 which is good for 9th in baseball. They rank 4th in baseball with 9.36 hits per contest. Marcell Ozuna comes into this matchup batting .322 and he has an OBP of .373. He has 87 hits this year along with 46 runs scored and 44 RBI. He's struck out 59 times and has walked on 22 occasions. Martin Prado is hitting .315 and he has an OBP of .362. He has collected 85 hits so far while he's scored 31 runs and drove in 22. He has earned a walk 20 times and has punched out 35 times. The Marlins as a unit have 683 base hits, including 119 doubles and 64 homers. They have 21 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 11 times. Miami as a team has walked 207 times this year and they have struck out 554 times. They've had 546 men left on base and have an OPS of .737. They score 4.1 runs per game and have totaled 299 runs so far this season.

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 34-35-2 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 41-30-0 against the run line so far this season

Miami Marlins Betting Trends

The Miami Marlins are 36-36-1 against the over/under so far this season

The Miami Marlins are 36-37-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago Cubs

06/23/16 1B Anthony Rizzo Back "?" Friday vs. Miami Marlins
06/23/16 C Miguel Montero Knee "?" Friday vs. Miami Marlins
06/21/16 P Clayton Richard Finger 15-day DL (6/21)
06/20/16 CF Dexter Fowler Hamstring 15-day DL (6/19)
06/09/16 2B Tommy La Stella Hamstring 15-day DL (6/8)
06/07/16 LF Jorge Soler Hamstring 15-day DL (6/6)
05/18/16 P Joe Nathan Elbow 60-day DL (5/17)
04/08/16 C Kyle Schwarber Knee 60-day DL (4/8); out for season
04/04/16 P Aaron Brooks Hip 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 3B Christian Villanueva Fibula 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Dallas Beeler Shoulder 15-day DL (3/25)
03/31/16 P Zac Rosscup Shoulder 60-day DL (2/25)

Miami Marlins

05/26/16 P Bryan Morris Back 15-day DL (5/25)
05/15/16 P Kendry Flores Shoulder 15-day DL (5/15)
04/29/16 2B Dee Gordon Suspension expected to miss 80 games
04/04/16 P Raudel Lazo Shoulder 15-day DL (3/25)
04/03/16 P Carter Capps Arm 60-day DL; out for season

Tony's Pick: Take the Cubs

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink