Chicago Cubs vs Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction, 3/28/2025 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Chicago Cubs vs Arizona Diamondbacks

Date: Friday, March 28, 2025

Location: Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ

TV: DBACKS.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Chicago (+132) Arizona (-160)

The Arizona Diamondbacks (89-73 last season) will try to defeat the Chicago Cubs (83-79 last year) at Chase Field on Friday. The moneyline on this contest has the Cubs at +132 while the Diamondbacks are coming in at -160. The over/under has been set at 8. The men taking the mound are Jameson Taillon and Merrill Kelly.

As a team, the Chicago Cubs recorded 4.5 runs per contest, which ranked them 12th in MLB. They accumulated 736 runs scored and held an OBP of .317. The Cubs hit 253 two-baggers as a squad and smacked 170 balls out of the stadium. They accumulated 696 RBI's and 1,318 hits over the course of last season, while their average at the plate was at .242. Chicago owned a slugging percentage of .393 and were called out on strikes 1,362 times, while taking a walk on 546 occasions.

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The Cubs finished with a team ERA of 3.78 over the course of last season (10th in baseball), and the staff rung up 1,348 batters. Cubs pitchers yielded 181 home runs and also 669 total runs (10th in baseball). Their pitching staff walked 485 opposing players and their FIP finished at 4.04 as a unit in the prior season. Chicago conceded 1,302 hits (8.2 per 9 innings) and 602 earned runs. They accrued a K/BB ratio of 2.78 and the pitching staff earned a collective WHIP of 1.25.

The Cubs had sent 496 relievers to the hill over the course of last year. The relievers inherited 217 base runners for the previous season with 31.8% of those players ended up crossing the plate. They earned 38 saves over the course of last year and missed out on 26 of 64 save opportunities. The Cubs relief pitchers had a save percentage of 59.4% and came into the game in 145 save situations. The bullpen notched 80 holds over the course of the prior season (21st in the league). Cubs relief pitchers went to the mound with runners on base 141 times as well as having 170 outings in high leverage situations.

The Cubs transformed 70.5% of baseballs in play into outs out of 12,891 innings, which had them ranked 8th in MLB. The Chicago Cubs earned a total of 4,297 putouts last season, in addition to 1,349 assists and 76 errors. Their fielding percentage finished at .987 which had them sitting 7th in MLB, and accumulated 91 double plays.

Taillon has taken the ball for 1,107 innings and has tallied 975 punch outs in his MLB career. Taillon (71-53 win-loss record in his career) holds a FIP of 3.84 while he has gone up against 4,609 hitters in the majors. His earned run average is 3.89 (479 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.209. He has allowed 1,072 base knocks (8.7 hits per nine innings) and has had 267 free passes.

The Diamondbacks had a team SLG% of .440 and they scored 5.47 runs per game (1st in baseball). They hit 271 doubles, while walking 569 times as well as notching 886 runs. Arizona recorded 211 long balls last year and 845 runs batted in. They struck out on 1,265 occasions (24th in baseball) and had 1,452 base hits. The Arizona Diamondbacks accumulated a team OBP of .337 and a batting average of .263 for the prior year.

The Arizona pitching staff allowed 788 runs over the course of last year while holding an ERA of 4.62 (741 earned runs conceded). They surrendered 181 homers and they gave up 4.91 runs per 9 innings (26th in MLB). The Diamondbacks had a team WHIP of 1.351 in addition to having a FIP of 4.09 as a unit for the previous season. They had a strikeout to walk ratio of 8.20 (1,313 strikeouts against 481 walks). They finished at 29th in MLB as a staff in total hits surrendered with 1,468.

Arizona had bullpen pitchers step onto the hill in 64 save chances and they earned 38 saves. They were sitting at 25th in the league with a save rate of 59.4%, and they dispatched 536 relievers onto the diamond last season. Their relievers stepped onto the mound 168 times in high leverage situations in addition to 152 occasions with base runners. Arizona relievers held an inherited score percentage of 39.0% of 218 inherited runners. Finishing with 153 save situations, the Diamondbacks recorded 87 holds in addition to 26 blown saves.

In 12,990 innings on the field, the Diamondbacks finished with a efficiency on defense of 68.2% (27th in MLB). The Arizona Diamondbacks had 138 double plays and earned a fielding percentage of .989 (1st in pro baseball). The Diamondbacks racked up 1,456 assists, 62 errors and earned a total of 4,330 putouts over the course of last season.

Kelly (53-44 win-loss record in his career) is the owner of a 3.82 ERA and has given up 8.2 hits per 9 innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.95 and he has faced 3,395 opposing hitters thus far in his career. He has given up 350 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.216 and a FIP of 3.8. In his pro baseball career, Kelly has surrendered 750 hits while earning 744 strikeouts in 824 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Chicago (+132)

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