Los Angeles Dodgers (73-65) +140, o/u 9 ½ at Chicago Cubs (70-67), 8 pm Eastern Wednesday, ESPN
by Zman of Predictem.com
A couple of teams mixed up in three National League races clash when the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Chicago Cubs in the third game of a four-game September series Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.
Los Angeles, after stumbling through a 13-15 month of August, has won seven of its last nine games, including the first two games of this series. The Dodgers now lead the season series with Chicago four games to one this year.
The Cubs, 5-7 over their last 12 games, now lead the NL Central by a half-game over the Milwaukee Brewers and a game over the St. Louis Cardinals.
L.A. sits in third place in the NL West, three games behind both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, and they're three games out in the NL wild-card race.
Chicago had better win the Central if it wants to play into October, because they are technically 5 ½ games back in the NL wild-card race.
The Dodgers are 36-33 on the road this season, 20-32 as underdogs, and 22-15 vs. the NL Central.
The Cubs are 37-35 at home this year but only 47-46 as favorites.
Lefty Eric Stults (1-2, 4.23) gets the start in place of the suspended David Wells for Los Angeles Wednesday vs. fellow lefty Ted Lilly (13-7, 3.89) for Chicago. Stults has made three starts this season, allowing seven ER and 18 baserunners in 17 IP. The Dodgers are 1-2 in those games, the o/u 1-1.
Stults has never started a regular-season game vs. the Cubs.
Lilly has given up 10 ER and 20 baserunners in his last 17 IP. Chicago is 15-13 in Lilly's starts this year, the o/u 14-11.
Lilly has made one start for the Cubs vs. the Dodgers this year, allowing five ER and 10 baserunners in 4 1/3 IP of a 9-8 Chicago loss back in May.
Los Angeles owns a .338 team OBP this year, which ranks as 11th-best in the league, and is averaging 4.5 runs per game.
The Cubs rank 20th in the league with their .329 team OBP, and are also averaging 4.5 RPG. And Chicago's bats have been quieted lately to the tune of just 32 runs over the last 10 games.
On the other side, Dodgers pitching has held five of its last 10 opponents to three runs or less.
The Los Angeles bullpen has given up three ER and 21 baserunners over its last 12 2/3 innings of work.
The Cubs pen has allowed nine ER and 23 baserunners over its last 19 1/3 IP.
The o/u is 72-61 in Dodgers games this season, 58-71 in Chicago games, and 35-35 at Wrigley Field, where games are averaging 9.4 RPG.
The Predictem Pick: Dodgers at +140.
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