D’backs Slugging Way into NL West Picture
It’s hard to imagine a team hitting .199 and remaining competitive in the ultra-challenging National League West, but that’s what we’ve got with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Behind some solid pitching and an onslaught of home runs, they are already about one-third of the way to their paltry 52-win total of a season ago and more often a favorite in the daily MLB lines.
The Diamondbacks rank fourth in the National League in home runs (35), 17 of which have come in just the last 11 games. The Chicago Cubs’ staff has surrendered the second-most homers (36) in the NL, so it’s lining up for the hosts to send a few more toward the Chase Field pool.
Make sure to check out the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Cubs vs Diamondbacks. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions.
Cubs Enjoying the Road
Wrigley Field is one of those special environments that players love, but to the Chicago Cubs, it’s been a house of horrors this season. Their 4-11 home record is worse than every team in the majors except the Washington Nationals (4-13).
The road has offered up a different tale, as the Cubs took two of three at San Diego to start the week. That helped ease the sting of an 0-5 homestand and pulled the team within a game of .500 (7-8) away from Wrigley.
Willson Contreras has been the MVP for Chicago, slugging his fourth homer in Wednesday’s 7-5 win over the Padres. The star backstop leads the team in average (.304) and OBP (.413). He’s also one of those admiring the rise of second-year first baseman Alfonso Rivas, who had the key hit in Wednesday’s win.
“From day one that I met him, I knew that he was going to be somebody special,” Contreras said of Rivas, who is hitting .289 and also homered in the series in San Diego.
Shortstop Nico Hoerner suffered a sprained ankle Wednesday after a collision with an umpire, something to consider when betting online with the Cubs.
Davies Set to Face Former Team
The Arizona Diamondbacks have lost each of the last two starts made by Zach Davies, but it hasn’t been his fault. The veteran righty, who was 6-12 with the Cubs last year, hasn’t allowed a run in 11⅓ innings over those two unlucky outings.
Excluding the one rocky season in Chicago, Davies is a career 37-25 pitcher with a 3.77 ERA, and he seems to have rediscovered a groove in the desert. Consider the roll he is on, which includes a 2.93 ERA at home, when analyzing your sports bets as it pertains to the Diamondbacks.
Cubs vs Diamondbacks Head-to-Head
The Diamondbacks have not won a season series against the Cubs since 2014, going 0-5-1 since then (they didn’t meet in the 2020 campaign). We’ll know soon enough if that trend continues as these teams meet in Wrigley for four games next weekend to finish up the 2022 season series.
Cubs vs Diamondbacks Game Information
- Game: Cubs (11-19) vs Diamondbacks (17-15)
- Location: Chase Field, Phoenix
- Day/Time: Friday, 9:40 p.m. ET
- Cubs vs Diamondbacks Streaming: MLB.tv
Cubs vs Diamondbacks Betting Lines
Cubs vs Diamondbacks Prediction
In addition to his current scoreless streak, Davies has been dominant against current Cubs over the years, many of whom he saw during his run with the Milwaukee Brewers. Chicago hitters are batting a combined .122 with three homers (two by Contreras) in 84 at-bats vs. Davies.
On the other side of the coin is Cubs starter Drew Smyly, who is 0-3 with a 5.14 ERA over his last three starts and owns a 7.36 ERA in his career against Arizona. Expect the Diamondbacks’ sluggers to get to him at some point and then take aim at a Chicago bullpen prone to the long ball. Its 1.18 home runs per nine innings is worse than every NL bullpen other than the lowly Cincinnati Reds (1.21).
This all adds up to an Arizona win. Take the moneyline and consider the over at 9 if you think the Diamondbacks can get to that pen early.
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