The Chicago Cubs punched their ticket to their third straight National League Championship Series after a thrilling series and finish against the cursed Washington Nationals. Now, the Cubs are in line to face the team with the best record in the MLB this season – the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last year, the Cubs defeated the Dodgers in the NLCS – the Dodgers will be looking to exact revenge this year. While the Cubs had to duke it out for a full five games, the Dodgers will be quite well-rested heading into this series.
Why The Cubs Might Win The Series
The Cubs have a load of experience to draw upon, having faced countless different situations during their last two playoff runs. While the Cubs will be up against Clayton Kershaw in game one and potentially in game five as well, at least they’ll feel more comfortable knowing that Kershaw will likely not pitch past the sixth inning, given his seventh inning woes. With the Cubs set to face three lefty Dodger starters in Kershaw, Rich Hill, and Alex Wood, they’ll likely go with Albert Almora in centerfield and Ben Zobrist in leftfield, relegating Kyle Schwarber to the bench. While the Cubs will be giving up a lot of power in this regard, an Almora-Zobrist defense is superior to a Jon Jay-Schwarber defense. Although a small sample size, Almora batted .342/.411/.486 against lefties. Additionally, Anthony Rizzo doesn’t really have a platoon split, as he hits lefties and righties just as well. Rizzo has been right in the mix of things whenever the Cubs have put together a crucial rally – he’ll need to continue this against the Dodgers in order for the Cubs to pull off an upset. The Cubs must also hope that their starters can turn things around – they’re definitely capable, but must actually perform to the level that they’re capable of.
Why The Dodgers Might Win The Series
The Dodgers will have the luxury of a well-rested team while the Cubs just went through an exhausting series, with Joe Maddon having churned through all of his starters, which likely leaves John Lackey (36 home runs allowed in 170 innings) to start the opener. Additionally, lights-out closer Wade Davis threw 44 pitches in the game five clincher, and his status will be up in the air as well. The Dodgers should be off to a strong start in game one, with the Cubs pitching staff quite exhausted. The Dodgers bullpen has been on point as well, with Brandon Morrow, Tony Cingrani, Tony Watson, Kenta Maeda, and closer Kenley Jansen, who has proven that he is more than capable of locking down three-plus out saves. On the other hand, the Cubs bullpen has been suspect, as Maddon’s trust in his bullpen has declined as the Cubs’ series against the Nationals progressed. The Dodgers’ bats aren’t too shabby either. The Dodgers like to grind out at-bats, with young studs Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager. However, their heart-and-soul is Justin Turner, who was the second-toughest batter to strike out this season and actually recorded more walks than strikeouts. Another key for the Dodgers has been Yasiel Puig, who has been much more disciplined at the plate compared to prior years.
Outlook
While you can never rule out the heart of the champion, the Cubs are facing less than ideal circumstances heading into the NLCS against a stacked, healthy, and well-rested Dodgers team. The Dodgers boast the better bullpen, starting pitching, and arguably lineup and defense.
It seemed like there might have been an opening for someone to upset the Dodgers after their slept through the second half of the season. However, they showed that they have the focus necessary as they ousted the Arizona Diamondbacks in just three games. They dominated them and that was with a lousy outing from Clayton Kershaw. If he pitches better, the Cubs will be in tight spot.
It’s so tough to repeat as World Series champions and I just don’t see the Cubs beating the Dodgers in the NLCS for a second straight year.
Pick: Dodgers -185
The MLB season is in coming to a conclusion, so if you’re looking at betting lines, in-game betting and World Series futures, click here to bet on MLB (or any other sports) at BetDSI!
