Chicago Cubs (6-5) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (7-6)
The 2023 MLB betting action goes on Saturday, April 15, with the Chicago Cubs squaring off against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League showdown at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, and the first pitch is set for 9:10 PM ET.
Chicago and LA continue a three-game set, and Friday’s opener has been excluded from the analysis. The Dodgers open as -155 moneyline favorites with a total of 9.0 runs, while the Cubs are listed as +143 road underdogs.
The Chicago Cubs have won two consecutive three-game home series over the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners. On both occasions, the Cubbies had won the first two contests before dropping the closer. Last Wednesday, they notched just five hits against Logan Gilbert and the Mariners’ bullpen, while Marcus Stroman and three relievers allowed ten hits in a 5-2 defeat to Seattle.
The Cubs are scoring 5.55 runs per game (5th in the MLB) while surrendering 4.64 runs in return (14th). They are slashing .280/.340/.404 with ten home runs (27th) and 17 doubles (tied-22nd). Dansby Swanson leads the way with a 151 OPS+, Patrick Wisdom has three homers and six RBI, while Cody Bellinger has accounted for a couple of dingers and nine RBI.
.@STR0 has posted a 1.80 ERA in his last 10 starts dating to Aug. 30 of last season, the best in the MLB during that span (min. 10 GS). pic.twitter.com/3rPsVK9Dx4
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 12, 2023
Jameson Taillon will toe the slab Saturday at Dodger Stadium, and the 31-year-old right-hander has gone 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over his first two starts in 2023. Taillon yielded three earned runs across four innings in a 9-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on April 2 and five runs (four earned) through five frames in an 8-2 defeat to the Texas Rangers on April 9.
Last year, Taillon started 32 games for the New York Yankees, posting an excellent 14-5 record to go with a 3.91 ERA, 3.94 FIP, and 1.13 WHIP. He’s 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers but hasn’t met them since 2018.