The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs open a four-game weekend series at Wrigley Field. This is a series between two clubs in similar spots at 18-21 and 15-21 in the National League, but the Diamondbacks could be an up-and-coming club while the Cubs are likely sellers at the trade deadline.
Game 40. pic.twitter.com/9BS8PnUbko
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 19, 2022
This isn’t the year for the Diamondbacks, so that’s not what I mean about up-and-coming. The Diamondbacks are probably two or three years off from being competitive with the good teams. Their biggest problem is having the unfortunate privilege of playing in the NL West.
The Diamondbacks are stuck in the toughest division in baseball. They have to deal with the Dodgers, Giants, and Dodgers. Even the Rockies can be good, especially trips to Coors Field in Denver.
I’m not so sure the Cubs would be an 18-21 team if they were playing in the NL West right now. The Cubs are not expected to do anything this year, nor will it be the case in a year. Signing an aging Marcus Stroman didn’t make the most sense.
Final: Pirates 3, Cubs 2. pic.twitter.com/8pLgs8KOJM
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 19, 2022
On a good team that needed depth help in their rotation, Stroman probably would have been a good option at the right price. Flipping him at the trade deadline wouldn’t be all that surprising.
Stroman gets the call for the Cubs at Wrigley, while Zac Gallen is expected on the mound for the Diamondbacks. Gallen has been in hot form to open the year. I was not too fond of the Marlins trading Gallen at the time in 2019 and certainly don’t like it any better now.
Head below for our free Diamondbacks vs. Cubs prediction on May 19, 2022.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chicago Cubs Live Betting Odds:
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +1.5 (-185) | +107 | Over 9 (-110) |
| Chicago Cubs | -1.5 (+160) | -128 | Under 9 (-110) |
|
Rank
|
Betting Site
|
Bonus | Bet Now |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
BetOnline
|
50% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| 2 | 
Bovada
|
50% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| 3 | 
BetUS
|
125% up to $2,500 | Go to Site |
| 4 | 
Everygame
|
100% up to $500 | Go to Site |
| 5 | 
SportsBetting.ag
|
100% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| 6 | 
MyBookie
|
100% up to $1,000 | Go to Site |
| Team Data | Arizona Diamondbacks | Chicago Cubs |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 18-21 | 15-21 |
| Away/Home Record | 8-10 | 6-12 |
| Batting Average | .207 | .233 |
| Batting Average Away/Home | .217 | .230 |
| Runs Per 9 | 3.67 | 4.23 |
| Team ERA | 3.94 | 3.80 |
| Team ERA Away/Home | 4.86 | 3.40 |
Diamondbacks vs. Cubs Prediction:
The Cubs want to see Marcus Stroman pick up from where he left off before going on the Covid list. Stroman has been far from perfect this season, and has run into some trouble, but Stroman was stellar versus the Milwaukee Brewers.
Stroman is going into Wrigley tonight with an ERA of 5.13 and a 1.18 WHIP. He had a couple of really poor starts, with 6 hits and 5 earned runs allowed in 4 innings against the Rockies, and then 8 hits and 7 earned runs versus the Rays in 4.1 innings of work.
He settled down against the Brewers, with a classic Stroman performance with 2 hits and no runs conceded across 7 innings on the bump. Stroman is back after a layoff due to Covid, so we’ll see if he finds the same form.
There hasn’t been an underlying problem for the Cubs’ pitching staff this season. They’ve been reliable with a team ERA of 3.80 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. However, the offense could be better, which is required in the NL Central against the Brewers and Pirates.
Gallen is one of the most underrated pitchers in the major leagues so far in 2022. There’s been a few young under-the-radar pitchers I’ve circled, with Gallen at the top of the list.
He opened his career in Miami, but only had seven starts in 2019 before going to Arizona in a trade. In his first two campaigns with the Diamondbacks, Gallen posted a 2.89 and 2.75 ERA, but didn’t receive a full workload.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chicago Cubs Betting Trends:
Diamondbacks
- Record (Last 10): 3-7
- 6-2 overall in their previous eight games on a Thursday
- 0-5 overall in their previous five games versus the National League
- 15-37 overall in their previous 52 first games of a series
- 2-6 overall in their previous eight games versus the Cubs
- OVER is 11-1-1 in their previous 13 games as an underdog
Cubs
- Record (Last 10): 6-4
- 2-6 overall in their previous eight first games of a series
- 3-10 overall in their previous 13 games versus a team with a losing record
- 3-11 overall in their previous 14 games at home
- 7-16 overall in their previous 23 games versus a right-handed starter
- UNDER is 5-0-1 in their previous six games
Gallen is going into Thursday evening with an ERA of 1.05 and a 0.67 WHIP across 34.1 innings on the hill. Through six starts, Gallen hasn’t allowed more than 2 earned runs in a game, and more than 1 earned run in only one outing.
He’s an early Cy Young candidate, but Gallen isn’t going to get the most attention playing on the 18-21 Diamondbacks. The big market clubs are going to be lurking to acquire Gallen if he keeps pitching at this pace.
However, the Diamondbacks are trending up overall as a team, and they aren’t going to let him get away easily. The Cubs would like him on their team, as they’ve struggled against Gallen in the past. He shut down the Cubs for 2 hits and 1 run last week.
The Cubs are hitting .135 with 2 RBIs versus Gallen in 31 at-bats. Yan Gomes is the only Cub to take Gallen over the fences.
The Cubs aren’t the team they used to be, and getting Gallen at plus money looks like an attractive option. Arizona is on a six-game losing streak after two losses against the Cubs in the desert and a sweep to the Dodgers.
With Gallen on the bump, this looks like a good opportunity for the D-backs to get back on track. The value here makes Arizona an attractive bet on the diamond at Wrigley tonight.
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