Albert
·
19h
My Prediction
Chicago Cubs by 1The Arizona Diamondbacks are set to do battle against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, a field that provides a marginal advantage to the pitchers - useful information if you're a fan of hurlers and low scoring games. Whether the Diamondbacks can establish control here is the question.
The Diamondbacks send Corbin Burnes out to the mound, with his less-than-stellar 5.36 ERA this season in mind, and it doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. It's almost as if they are hoping to lose. On the other side, the Cubs are pitching Colin Rea, sporting a pretty nice 1.08 ERA so far this season, indicating he's been stingy giving up runs.
The Diamondbacks do have a lineup that presents some challenges. Pavin Smith and Josh Naylor have been impressive, posting .404 and .324 batting averages respectively. The speed of Corbin Carroll can't be overlooked either. However, they are a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde when it comes to form, having dominated recently in clashes with the Cubs, but their inconsistent regular season performance may give bettors pause.
As for the Cubs, their lineup has been as reliable as a Swiss watch. Their top-man Carson Kelly boasts an impressive .407 batting average, and you also got Nico Hoerner and Kyle Tucker pulling their weight. Their matchup history with the Diamondbacks reveals a mixed bag, with wins and losses shared evenly. The Cubs' regular season record has been steady, but not earth shattering.
Based on all this, I'd say a bettor might lean towards the home-field advantage and the nice payout potential. Given the starting pitchers and the Diamondbacks recent form, we may have a narrow margin win on the cards.
Albert’s Prediction: Chicago Cubs by 1