Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs Predictions, Betting Odds & Picks

• Dodgers desperate to find a way to right the ship
• Cubs trying to keep pace in competitive NL Central
• X-factor to watch on both sides

Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs Odds

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Dodgers vs Cubs Predictions and Picks

The Dodgers lost the first three games of their series against the Milwaukee Brewers and then went out and punished them in the finale. I’m expecting something similar here.

Los Angeles has to start winning because they knew they’d have to compete with the Padres this year, but I don’t think they anticipated the Giants to be this good too. Buehler is significantly better than Albert Alzolay, so we’re going to go with the Dodgers against the spread and the over.

Picks:

Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (+104)

Over 7.5 (-114)

Garcia’s 2021 record: (15-8-1)

How to Watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs

Can Buehler Fuel a Dodgers Turnaround

It’s strange to see the Dodgers struggling so mightily. Los Angeles is somehow just 4-12 in its last 16 games and has fallen from its perch atop the NL West and is now closer to fourth than first.

It looked as if Los Angeles might feel good coming into play Wednesday after stealing a win late in game two of the doubleheader against Chicago, but that didn’t happen.

The Dodgers scored a run in the seventh to tie it and two in the eighth (the first extra-inning because it was a doubleheader) to pull ahead 3-1. Well, after a two-run Javy Baez home run to tie it in the eighth, David Bote singled home Kris Bryant for the game-winning run in the 10th.

Now it’s time to see if Walker Buehler can be the key to sparking a turnaround for the Dodgers because he had been fabulous until his last outing — and even counting that he’s been darn good.

Buehler is 1-0 with a 3.16 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 31.1 innings. He has gone six innings or more in each of his five starts and in his last two appearances has struck out 19 and walked just onJe.

It’s just hard to bet on it to be certain — even though he’s the best pitcher in this matchup — because the Dodgers play such close games when Buehler’s on the mound. Four of his five appearances this year have been settled by one run and the other game went to extra innings.

Cubs Look to Build off Doubleheader Statement

The Cubs could have given up at a few points early on this season.

They’ve had separate stretches of the season where they went 1-5 and 2-5 and their offense looked completely lost. Yet yesterday they showed true resolve. After blowing the game in the seventh and giving up the lead in the eighth, they could’ve folded. But instead came up with timely hits and found a way to pull out a win over the defending World Series champions.

All in all, to be within three games of the NL Central lead is not a bad place to be all things considered.

Many people view them as on the back end of their shelf life during this era of that World Series run from just a few years ago, but their stars from yesteryear have been proving they still got it.

Kris Bryant is having one of the best years of his career. The former All-Star is hitting .323 is tied for the league lead with nine home runs, tied for fifth with 23 RBIs, and is sixth with a 1.111 OPS.

Javy Baez also has his power stroke, having belted eight home runs and sitting in the top five in baseball with 24 runs driven in. Nico Hoerner has also been red hot this past week — going 8-for-22, good for a .364 average with four RBIs.

X-Factors to Watch on Both Sides

There are two key players to watch on the Cubs. While we said some of the household names (Bryant and Bez) are producing, two of them are not. Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras have not been putting up numbers we’re accustomed to seeing.

Rizzo does have five home runs, but he’s hitting just .225 with a .331 OBP and .762 OPS. Contreras is hitting .230 with seven home runs, 16 RBI, and an .824 OPS, solid numbers but he’s been slumping lately, getting one hit or fewer in 10 of his last 12 games.

On the other side, can Mookie Betts finally get going? He is slowly but surely showing signs of turning his slow start around. He has multiple hits in two of his last five games and at least one hit in four of them. However, he’s still just hitting .260 this year with three home runs and six RBIs.

Betts’ uncharacteristic rough stretch is representative of the Dodgers’ season as a whole.