The Arizona Diamondbacks (50-48) aim to continue their positive momentum against the Chicago Cubs (47-52) in Game 2 of their three-game series on Saturday, July 20 at 7:15 PM ET at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. For the upcoming MLB betting opportunity, the Diamondbacks are favored to win with a moneyline at -135.
The Diamondbacks are 4-1 over their last five matchups, as they took care of solid ball clubs such as the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves. They were able to take Game 1 of this series 5-2, with the Diamondbacks scoring three runs in the third inning to get the momentum going.
They are starting Zac Gallen (6-5) on the mound and should be a promising beginning. He currently has an ERA at 3.87 and a WHIP at 1.21. For the team, they have an ERA average at 4.56, so they need to make the most of Gallen's time.
Christian Walker is a threat for the Cubs since he cracks the top 10 in the league for both home runs and RBIs. He currently has a batting average at .264, as well as 22 homers and 68 RBIs.
The Diamondbacks do a good job at the plate with a .254 batting average. Despite an upside offensively, they are allowing their opponents to average .262.
The Cubs have been defeated in three of their last five games. They recently snapped their two-game losing streak against the St. Louis Cardinals in the finale of that series, but quickly lost that momentum here.
With Kyle Hendricks (2-7) on the mound, they could have a rough start.He currently shows a 6.78 ERA and a WHIP at 1.51. Thankfully, their team ERA is at 3.79 and relief could be a factor if he is having a bad day pitching.
They have a few players that shine offensively and could make an impact early in the game. Michael Busch is one of them and leads them with a batting average at .270. Christopher Morel should also be appealing with his 18 home runs so far.
The Cubs are needing to do better than their .235 batting average. On top of that they need to buckle down defensively and push the D-Backs to their opponent average of .238 at the plate.
MyBookie has you covered for MLB betting odds, which favor the Diamondbacks to take control of Game 2. According to market analysis, the Diamondbacks have a 42.5 percent chance at winning.
They have great momentum over their last five games to show they are consistently better here. They also have a more appealing prospect on the mound to start with Gallen. Look for the D-Backs to get ahead by a solid margin.
