Merrill Kelly gets the start for the Diamondbacks (74-68, 36-33 away) against Justin Steele and the Cubs (76-66, 40-33 home). Today will be game three of their series, with the Diamondbacks leading 2-0. Check out who I like to see who comes out on top in today’s Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chicago Cubs matchup.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS VS CHICAGO CUBS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks +120

This game will be played at Wrigley Field at 2:20 ET on Saturday, September 9th.

WHY BET THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS:

  • In their last five games, the Diamondbacks have a record of 4-1.
  • As the favorite on the road, the Diamondbacks’ win streak currently stands at three games.
  • Merrill Kelly has done a good job at avoiding the long-ball of late, having not given up a home-run in each of his past five starts.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN NL WEST

This season, the Diamondbacks are 74-68, putting them 2nd in the NL West. On the road this season, Arizona has been above .500 team at 36-33. Overall, they have gone 25-18-4 in their 47 series.

Merrill Kelly is currently 11-6 with an ERA of 3.22. On the road, he has gone 7-2 with an ERA of 3.84, while at home he has posted a 4-4 record and 2.99 ERA. His WHIP is 1.17 and opponents are batting .218 against him, with a slugging percentage of .363.

The Arizona Diamondbacks earned a victory in Merrill Kelly’s most recent outing, defeating the Colorado Rockies 4-2. Kelly pitched seven innings, surrendering four hits and one earned run while notching the win.

For the season, the Diamondbacks’ offense is averaging 4.7 runs per game. Over their last five games they have swung the bats well, sitting 10th in the league in scoring, with a total of 25 runs. Overall, Arizona’s team batting average is .253, putting them 10th in the MLB.

Over the past five games, Tommy Pham has been the Diamondbacks’ top hitter, batting .280. On the season, he is hitting .259 and has 59 RBIs.

WILL THE CHICAGO CUBS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Cubs enter today’s game with an overall record of 76-66, including putting together an above .500 mark at home (40-33). This year, Chicago has played in 45 series and have gone 25-14-6. Currently, they are 2nd in the NL Central.

Justin Steele is having an impressive season in 2023, boasting a 16-3 record and 2.55 ERA. On the road, he has gone 4-1 with an ERA of 3.05, while at home he has compiled a 12-2 record and 2.50 ERA. His WHIP stands at 1.14 and opponents have mustered a .236 batting average against him, as well as a .346 slugging percentage.

Justin Steele notched a victory and a quality start in his most recent outing, pitching eight shutout innings and surrendering only two hits as his team cruised to a 5-0 win over the Giants.

This season, the Cubs are 6th in the league at 5.1 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .233 (21st) leading to 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.5 walks per game compared to 8 strikeouts. Chicago’s on-base percentage of .328 has them 8th in the MLB.

Nico Hoerner leads the Cubs in hits this season, boasting a .281 batting average. His slugging percentage stands at .392 and his on-base percentage is .341 entering the game.