MLB Betting - Game Match-up 8/20

Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers 10:10 ET
 
A pair of struggling teams hook up Thursday night in the first of four sports betting matchups when the Chicago Cubs (61-57, -$795) and Los Angeles Dodgers (71-50, +$1171) battle in Tinseltown. Chicago managed to finally beat the San Diego Padres at Petco Park last night behind a stellar pitching performance from starter Rich Harden. They rediscovered their hitting stroke in the process by pounding the Padres pitching staff for 10 hits and seven runs; it was just the second time in their L/10 games that they produced more than five runs in a game and it looked like they were having fun doing it. Unfortunately for Manager Lou Piniella’s club, everyone ahead of them in both races won, so they still sit six-games in back of the NL Central leading St. Louis Cardinals and five-games in back of the Wild Card leading Colorado Rockies. The lead for Manager Joe Torre’s Dodgers now stands at just 3.5-games after his squad lost its sixth series in its L/8 tries since July 22nd. They were beaten at their own game last night after the Cardinals scored a run in the top of the 9th, and then Ryan Franklin took care of business in the bottom of the inning to secure the 3-2 victory and notch his 31st save of the season. The defeat dropped the Dodgers to 37-24 at Chavez Ravine (+$182) where they’ve managed victories in just three of their L/10 games. These teams split a four-game baseball betting series at Wrigley Field at the end of May.

The opener of this baseball betting series pits lefty Tom Gorzelanny against Jeff Weaver; Los Angeles has been tagged as -135 home favorites by BetUS oddsmakers with the game ‘total’ set at 8.5 over -115.

Gorzo put forth a solid effort in his Wrigley Field debut against his former mates. He limited the Buccos to just three hits and an ER through five innings of work to improve his mark to2-1 as a member of the Chicago Cubs. Overall, the southpaw is 5-2 with a 5.24 ERA & 1.16 WHIP allowing 18 hits and 13 ER’s through 22.1 innings of work with a K/BB ratio of 22/8. His fastball has had some nice giddy-up to it since his return to the Bigs, and he came up just a strikeout short of his all time high of nine against the Pirates. This will be his first look at the Dodgers since the 2007 season.

Righty Jeff Weaver gets the starting nod from the Dodgers skipper in this spot. It would have originally gone to Hiroki Kuroda had he not been beamed in the head with a line drive his last start. He’s 5-4 with a 3.77 ERA & 1.47 WHIP through 62 total innings of work in ’09.  He’s started six games for LA this season going 2-1 with a 3.08 ERA. He’s been at his best at Dodgers Stadium where he’s 2-0 with a 3.11 ERA and 28 K’s in 37.2 total innings. He last faced the Cubs in 2007 as a member of the Mariners.

So, Chicago returns to the scene of the crime where the three-game sweep was ultimately pulled out in the 2008 Playoffs. With both of these teams struggling at the moment, anything can happen in this series. Usually in a match up like tonight, I’m inclined to grab the points or go with the +$$$. Do exactly that to have a rooting interest in Game 1 of this series…

Rose’s Recommendation: 2* Chicago Cubs +115 (Gorzelanny/Weaver)

(Rating Scale: 1* - 5*)