That’s MLB betting Matt Moore – not to be confused with his American football namesake – who along with the San Francisco Giants will face the Chicago Cubs. Both teams convened for a four-game set from May 22nd-25th, in which the Cubs took three out of the four from the Giants.
- Date: Monday, 7th August
- Time: 10:05 PM
- Venue: AT&T Park, San Francisco
- Online gambling odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Cubs -1½ (-105) 8 (-110) -180
Giants +1½ (-115) 8 (-110) +170
Chicago Cubs (58-52)
Jake Arrieta (RHP, 10-8, 3.88 ERA, 124 K) will take the mound for the Cubs. The 2015 Cy Young winner has surrendered nine runs with a 2.08 ERA in his last six starts, including seven innings of one-run ball against Arizona. Arrieta had three quality starts against the Giants last season, and has a career 1.82 ERA against that team.
Manager Joe Maddon said Kyle Schwarber would not be starting tonight, most likely to make room for Albert Almora Jr. who is .343 BA against left-handers, .529 slugging.
This will be the Cubbies’ second trip to the West Coast and they have nowhere to go but up from the first, in which they went 0-6 versus the LA Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. “We’ve had a hard time with the West. We have,” Maddon said. “And I think it’s primarily because we’ve had a hard time with the pitching with the West.” The Cubs are 10-16 versus the West this season, and have scored three or fewer runs in more than half of those games.
People who bet on baseball are aware that the Cubs like to play dress-up on the road. Strength coach Tim Buss hopes to alleviate the club’s West Coast blues with his “Easy Rider” gimmick. You do know Dennis Hopper got shotgun-blasted off his bike at the end, right?
When the Cubs return home they will have American Legion week, which allows them to just show up and play but Maddon may have more ideas as the season goes. Here are a couple of suggestions: “Underwater Pimp and Ho,” and “Canadian Politics Circa 1972 but You’re Secretly Batman.”
The Cubs have lost and failed to cover in their last five games bur have beaten San Fran in four of their last five meetings. The MLB betting total has gone under in 80% of the Cubbies’ last five road games.
San Francisco Giants (44-69)
Matt Moore (LHP, 3-11, 5.80 ERA, 104 K) allowed Oakland four runs in five innings in his last start – the fifth straight time he has given up four or more runs – and has not won since June 20th. He has one start against the Cubs under his belt this season, and also faced them in Game 4 of the 2016 National League Division Series.
The Giants waved goodbye to George Kontos, whom the Pirates claimed off waivers.
2 World Series Championships and a whole lot of memories. Thank you, George.#ForeverGiant | #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/AKzMMW4BlP
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) August 5, 2017
The Giants have won and covered in two thirds of their last six games, and have won five of their last seven times hosting the Cubs. The MLB betting total has gone over in five of San Fran’s last seven games, and over in five of their last six home games versus the Cubs.