There does appear to be a chance of rain in Chicago on Sunday, where the Cubs and Diamondbacks will face off at Wrigley Field. First pitch is currently scheduled for 2:20 PM ET, and MARQ has the game on TV.
The Cubs are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -129 compared to the Diamondbacks at +111. Arizona will be looking to extend their two-game winning streak, but our model is projecting the Cubs to win this one.
Arizona vs. Chicago Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Diamondbacks at Cubs
- Where: Wrigley Field Chicago
- Date: Sunday, July 21st
- Betting Odds CHC -129 | ARI +111 O/U 7.5
Diamondbacks vs Cubs Last Game Recap
It was all Arizona in the last game of this series, as the Diamondbacks took down the Cubs by a score of 3-0. The D-backs offense only had two more hits than the Cubs and struck out six times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were favored at -136 on the money line.
This game featured a starting pitching matchup between Zac Gallen for the Diamondbacks and Kyle Hendricks for the Cubs. Gallen only went five innings but didn't give up a hit or a run and finished with four strikeouts. On the other side, Hendricks was tagged for three homers and three runs in five innings of work.
Chicago's best scoring chance came in the 7th inning when they loaded the bases with no outs, but Paul Sewald came out of the bullpen for the D-backs and got out of the jam. Sewald ended up getting the save in the game.
Diamondbacks Preview
Arizona has been a solid run line bet on the road this season, covering the run line in four straight road games and posting a 28-21 record. The Diamondbacks are 32-22 as underdogs and have an average run margin of +0.6 on the road. Overall, they are 51-48 and have won two straight games, sitting 7 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
This season, the Diamondbacks' games have averaged 9.7 runs, and their over/under record is 52-44. When the O/U line has been set at 7.5 runs, their O/U record is 6-4. Heading into today's game, they are on a 2-game under streak.
Through 19 starts, Brandon Pfaadt has a record of 4-6 and an ERA of 3.97 for the Diamondbacks. He has made 10 quality starts this year and is coming off a scoreless outing vs. the Braves, where he picked up the win. In that start, he went six innings and didn't give up a run. Before that outing, he had given up at least one earned run in three straight starts. Pfaadt has been much better at home, coming in with an ERA of 3.09 compared to 4.77 on the road.
Arizona comes into today's game as one of the league's top offensive teams, averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is good for 3rd in the MLB. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .254, which is the 5th best mark in the league.
Both Ketel Marte and Christian Walker have been swinging the bat well of late, with Marte hitting .429 over his last eight games and Walker batting .276 with three homers in his last eight games. Walker's 22 homers are 6th best in the MLB and the most on the Diamondbacks' roster.
Cubs Preview
Chicago has an overall series record of 11-17-3 this season, with their games averaging 8.4 runs. The over/under record for Cubs games is 43-53, and the over has hit in 55.6% of games with a total of 7.5 runs.
In the NL Central, the Cubs are 10 games behind the Brewers, sitting in 5th place. They have a 47-53 overall record and have lost two consecutive games. As the underdog, Chicago has a 36-19 run line record, but they are 13-32 as the favorite.
Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and is coming off a strong outing vs. the Orioles, where he picked up the win. In that start, he went six innings and didn't give up a run. Looking back further, Imanaga has made 17 starts, and his record for the season is 8-2. Imanaga's ERA is 2.97, along with a WHIP of 1.11. Opposing batters are hitting .240 off the left-hander this season. Imanaga has turned in 11 quality starts and is averaging 9.09 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, he has allowed 12 homers.
Chicago's offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, averaging just 4.2 runs per game. This is 23rd in the league. The Cubs have also been one of the worst home run hitting teams in the league, and they come into the game with a team batting average of just .234. One thing they have done well is draw walks, as they are 5th in the league in that category.
Over his last nine games, Nico Hoerner has been swinging a hot bat, going 14/40, and is batting .258 for the season. Ian Happ has been the team's top power threat, with 15 homers, which is 12th in the league. However, he is batting just .239 for the season. Christopher Morel has 18 homers but is batting just .202 for the season.
Diamondbacks vs. Cubs Prediction: Diamondbacks ML +111
Our prediction for today's Diamondbacks vs. Cubs game is to take the Diamondbacks on the money line at +111. We have the Diamondbacks winning this one by a score of 5-4.
Looking at today's starting pitchers, we have Shota Imanaga finishing with six strikeouts for the Cubs and Brandon Pfaadt with four for the Diamondbacks. However, Imanaga is projected to have a better ERA than Pfaadt, but we still like the Diamondbacks to pick up the win.
