By Stephen Nover
Cubs minus $1.30 hosting Phillies
The 42-42 Cubs are a talented team unlike most other .500 or below teams. But they’ve lost nine in a row, averaging only 2.4 runs per game during this skid.
I usually prefer to play on a streak rather than against it. I’ll make an exception this time. I see the Cubs winning here as does the oddsmaker making Chicago a mid-size favorite.
A big reason for this is to quote the never-to-be-forgotten Cubs broadcaster I grew up listening to, Jack Brickhouse. He would come on the air saying welcome from the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.
The Cubs’ losing streak consists entirely of road defeats, the last three occurring by one run each. Now they’re back home at Wrigley Field where they have won 22 of the last 30 times for 73 percent.
Philadelphia is 15-26 on the road. The Phillies have lost 10 of the last 14 times they’ve played at Wrigley Field.
I hold no special affinity for Cubs starter Zach Davies and his 4.32 ERA. Davies has pitched slightly better at home with a 4.15 ERA.
However, I’ll take Davies over Phillies starter Matt Moore and a highly-disappointing Philadelphia bullpen that has blown a staggering 22 of 41 save chances. Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel, by contrast, has 20 saves and a 0.59 ERA. He’s having a huge year even by his lofty standards.
Moore has a 5.79 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and has surrendered five homers in 23 1/3 innings. The forecast is for the wind to be blowing out at 14 mph. So fire up Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, Wilson Contreras, Joc Pederson, Nico Hoerner and any other good power hitter you can think of on the Cubs because there figures to be plenty of scoring – just more on the Chicago side.
(I have three other MLB Monday plays besides this free selection along with a play in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. If you’re interested in obtaining my picks please email me at scriber26@gmail.com, or message me via Twitter. Thanks and best of luck.)
