The 2022 MLB season goes on Thursday, July 7, with the opener of a four-game National League series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, so we have prepared the best Cubs vs. Dodgers betting pick and odds. 

Chicago meets LA for the second time this season. Back in May, the Dodgers swept a three-game series at Wrigley Field in Chicago. They are heavy -265 home favorites for Thursday’s battle, while the Cubs are listed as +237 moneyline dogs with a total of 8.5 runs on BetOnline Sportsbook. 

The Cubs lost six straight to the Dodgers                                         

The Chicago Cubs are winless in six straight meetings with the Blue Crew, including their last three encounters in California. The Cubbies have been playing well as of late and hope their solid run of form will help in a matchup with the best team in the National League. 

At the time of writing, the 33-48 Cubs trailed the Brewers 1-0 in the closer of their three-game NL Central set in Milwaukee. They’ve split the first two games, while the Cubs have gone 8-5 in their previous 13 contests overall. 

Mark Leiter Jr. will toe the slab Thursday at Dodger Stadium, and the 31-year-old righty is 2-2 with a 4.85 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in three starts and eight relief appearances (29.2 innings) this season. Leiter threw 5.1 frames in relief in a 3-1 home win over the Boston Red Sox this past Saturday, allowing one earned run on three hits and a walk. 

The Dodgers boast the best record in the NL              

The 51-29 Los Angeles Dodgers were topping the National League ahead of their Wednesday night clash against the Colorado Rockies, which has been excluded from the analysis. The Dodgers were looking to sweep a three-game home set versus Colorado and grab their seventh win in eight games overall. 

Tony Gonsolin was projected to get the nod last Wednesday, but the Dodgers decided to give him an extra day to rest. Gonsolin has been a true ace for LA so far this season, tallying a 10-0 record with a shiny 1.54 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 77/23 K/BB ratio in 15 starts (81.2 innings). 

Last Friday, Gonsolin fired 7.2 frames of a one-run ball in a 5-1 victory over the San Diego Padres. The 28-year-old righty has allowed at least a run in three straight starts, but he’s yet to surrender more than a couple of earned runs in an outing this season. 

Trends:

Chi Cubs: 

  • 0-6 in the last six games against the Dodgers 

LA Dodgers:

  • 6-1 in the last seven games overall 
  • 7-0 in Tony Gonsolin’s last seven starts  

Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Pick 

Both Cubs and Dodgers are swinging a hot bat at the moment. Chicago is hitting .279/.362/.453 in the last couple of weeks, and the Cubs have scored 80 runs over their previous 14 outings. On the other side, the Dodgers are slashing .264/.330/.477 with 24 home runs across 474 at-bats in that span. 

Hereof, I’m expecting the Dodgers’ pitching staff to make the difference. Tony Gonsolin has been ridiculous through the first three months of the season, and the Dodgers ‘pen is full of top-notch arms. 

Pick: Take Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 at -125                                       

The Total:

LA’s bullpen has a 3.06 ERA, 3.76 FIP, and 10.3 K/9 in the last ten days and 32.1 frames of work. The Cubs’ bullpen, on the other side, has thrown 45.1 innings in that span and posted a 2.58 ERA, 3.03 FIP, and 10.9 K/9. 

The totals seem a tricky wager, as the teams have impressed on both sides of the ball lately. If Tony Gonsolin continues to dominate, we shouldn’t see a high-scoring affair. Seven of his last eight starts have seen eight or fewer runs on the scoreboard. 

Pick: Go under 8.5 at -120