NL Series of the Week: Cubs at Dodgers

The Chicago Cubs are in the hunt for command of their National League Central division, and they’ll be looking to bolster their claim down in California as they visit this season’s monsters of the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

For themselves, the Dodgers have been in the middle of a mild downturn of late, although they remain firmly in lead of their National League West division, at 9.5 games ahead of their nearest rival. This four-game set promises to be an exciting one, and there are a lot of questions to answer, so let’s dive in for a closer look.

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

There’s no question that this series is a matchup between two very strong teams, but the Dodgers are the best team in the NL, and have been ping-ponging back and forth with the Houston Astros for the top rank in baseball. Online bookmakers have the Thursday night series opener game line at Cubs +150, Dodgers -170, but notably jumps to Cubs +175, Dodgers -210 on the 5 Innings Line.

The starters for the opener are the mostly solid Jon Lester for the Cubs, versus Clayton Kershaw for the Dodgers, who, as those 5th Innings Line numbers indicate, no one wants to bet against. Kershaw is 5-1 for the season so far, with an even 3.00 ERA.

And with reliable bats in Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and others driving in runs to back up the pitchers, the Dodgers have certainly landed on a winning formula. Meanwhile, the Cubs starting rotation has been good but inconsistent. The pitching staff’s team ERA is 3.87, good for 3rd in the NL, but there are some holes in the bullpen, and their strongest starter, Cole Hamels, isn’t scheduled to start this series.

That said, the Cubs lineup is full of World Series all-stars like Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez who continue to provide consistent production for the team, but with all the factors in place, this will still be an uphill battle for them.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

As previously mentioned, Clayton Kershaw’s start in the opener will get plenty of attention. He’s a wear-‘em-out pitcher, known for going deep into games, and giving up runs comes with the territory. If the Cubs can play strategic and get to Kershaw early, they may have a shot at flipping the script on the Dodgers.

While the Cubs are likely to be listed as underdogs for all four games in the series, Friday night’s game could be particularly interesting. The Dodgers have yet to list their probably starters for the rest of the series, but Kyle Hendricks is scheduled to get the start for the Cubs on Friday night. Hendrick is trailing just behind team leader Cole Hamels in just about every stat (with the notable exception of giving up fewer than half the BBs), and with some run support behind him, could very well run away with the game.

So while the Dodgers are no doubt favored, a sweep is much more of a long shot. Some strategic underdog betting could make this series even more exciting.