Can the Chicago Cubs Start The Second Half Strong At Home?
D'Backs vs Cubs Predictions: Expect Quality Starts From Both Pitchers
The Chicago Cubs will start the second half of the season with a traditional day game tomorrow against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cubs are 47-51 after a tremendous start to the season in April. However, since May 1, they have been 29-39. They’ve fallen apart and could now become sellers by the MLB Trade Deadline.
The Cubs have enough pieces to compete, especially in the starting rotation. However, the lineup hasn’t produced at a high level, which has had a major impact on losing.
The Diamondbacks are 49-48. But despite being above .500, there are rumors that the Diamondbacks would rather sell than compete in a packed NL Wild Card.
Arizona made it into the World Series last season but could ultimately miss out on the playoffs this year. Still, a solid early start to the second half could change Arizona’s mind.
The Diamondbacks are currently -118 on the moneyline, with the total set at 7.5. The Under, however, is juiced to -115.
Check out our in-depth D’Backs vs Cubs predictions and analysis for Game 1 of this NL series.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Chicago Cubs 
Day/Time:
Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Streaming: Marquee Sports Network, Arizona Diamondbacks, MLBN
Are The Diamondbacks Buyers or Sellers?
Arizona General Manager Mike Hazen told Arizona Sports he intended to buy. He’s already been aggressive with this team, which hasn’t resulted in much. He’s also looking for the team to play more consistently over the last few weeks before deciding.
That said, The Athletic reported that the D-Backs were trending to the sell side.
Christian Walker would ultimately be the main piece up for grabs. He’s entering Free Agency after the 2024 season, and Arizona would be silly not to get anything in return for him if they didn’t plan on matching or re-signing him.
Don’t consider Arizona’s MLB playoff odds until after the deadline.
Making Moves During The All-Star Break
While the players might be off a bit, the front office is never. The Cubs struck a deal with the Royals to bring in reliever Jesus Tinoco.
Tinoco signed a minor league deal with the Royals three weeks ago but wasn’t added to their 40-man roster. Therefore, the Cubs wouldn’t have to place Tinoco on their 40-man roster either.
Tinoco pitched six times for Kansas City’s Triple-A team. He allowed three runs in 6.2 innings and has struck out ten while walking one.
Read on for our best MLB bets for this series opener between the Diamondbacks and Cubs.
D’Backs vs Cubs Predictions & Odds For Game 1:
RL: Diamondbacks -1.5 (+146) ML: Diamondbacks -118, O/U: 7.5 -105/-115
D’Backs vs Cubs Predictions & Betting Previews
âš¾ Game 1 âš¾
Friday, 2:20 pm ET
Probable Pitchers (Not Confirmed as of July 18, 1:30 pm ET): Zac Gallen vs. Justin Steele
Due to the All-Star break, many teams haven’t yet committed to their weekend starters. The Diamondbacks and Cubs are two teams that haven’t confirmed starters.
However, there are already odds out for this particular game. Those odds indicate we’ll likely get two aces on the mound, especially since the total is 7.5 and juiced to -115.
Zac Gallen last pitched on July 14 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He only threw 70 pitches and allowed six runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings of work.
He’ll be eager to get back on the mound to start the second half of the season. Gallen hasn’t earned a high strikeout rate over the last 30 days and has allowed at least three runs in three consecutive starts.
However, he’ll take on a Cubs lineup that has hit just a .325 wOBA with 23.9% of strikeouts. In the projected lineup, seven batters for Chicago have struck out at least 26.2% of the time over the last 30 days against righties.
The lineup has also walked just 7% of the time against righties in the last 30 days. Six batters have walk rates of no better than 6.1%.
Gallen will likely bounce back against the Cubs and pitch like the veteran ace that he is.
Elite Stuff From Justin Steele
Chicago will likely counter with Justin Steele. Steele is a lefty thrower who hasn’t seen the mound since July 11. But after Shota Imanaga pitched an inning in the All-Star Game, Steele’ll likely get the first start of the second half.
Steele has been electric all year. He’s held 345 batters to a .125 ISO and wOBA of .253 over the last month. He’s also limited opponents to 5.2% of walks and has added 23.5% of strikeouts.
His strikeout rate has increased over the last 30 days, and he’s limited teams to a .205 wOBA.
Additionally, Steele has held batters to just 18.6% of line drives. In July, he’s allowed an average of just .093 and a WHIP of .44 through two games.
Therefore, our free MLB picks will include the Under 7.5 (-115).
For MLB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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