Article courtesy OddsShark (@OddsShark)
The Los Angeles Dodgers (17-12) ended their second three-game skid in seven games on Sunday, and now they head to Wrigley Field to face the Chicago Cubs (12-16) looking to win two games in a row for the first time since they put together an eight-game winning streak between April 9 and 17.
And the Dodgers once again opened as solid road favorites on the MLB betting lines at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com for Monday’s series opener with unbeaten Walker Buehler headed to the hill.
Dodgers vs. Cubs | OddsShark Matchup Report
Los Angeles has already moved from -155 up as high as -190 in early betting action at Chicago despite the fact that the team has lost the last two times Buehler (1-0, 3.16 ERA) has toed the rubber (how line movement works). Much like last season, the 26-year-old right-hander has had trouble getting decisions, as only one of his five starts so far has registered in the win column. Fortunately for him and the Dodgers, he has yet to take a loss either, giving up seven runs in his past two outings combined totaling 13.1 innings with one walk and 19 strikeouts, as his ERA has jumped up from 2.00.
Opposing Buehler for the Cubs will be Kyle Hendricks (1-3, 7.54 ERA), who has struggled as much as his team this year. Hendricks has gone just 1-2 in four starts at Wrigley in 2021 with a 5.68 ERA. Last season, he went 4-2 in six home starts with a 1.85 ERA. Chicago is coming off a series loss to the Cincinnati Reds, losing two of three to them and seven of nine overall.
On deck in the second game of this three-game series for the Cubs on Tuesday is Adbert Alzolay (1-2, 4.71 ERA) followed by Jake Arrieta (3-3, 4.31 ERA) in the finale on Wednesday. Unfortunately for Chicago, Alzolay and Arrieta will go up against Los Angeles starters Clayton Kershaw (4-2, 2.09 ERA) and Trevor Bauer (3-1, 2.48 ERA), respectively, to close out the series.
The Dodgers have won four of the past five meetings with the Cubs since losing three in a row and six of eight in the series dating back to 2018. The UNDER has cashed at online betting sites in the last two meetings too following a 7-1 OVER run between them.
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