NLCS Game 1: Chicago Cubs at LA Dodgers MLB Odds & Pick

The Chicago Cubs emerged from a bizarre Game Five with the Washington Nationals as the winners of their National League Division Series, sending the Nats home after the first round once again. Despite their trophy case full of National League East titles, they still have yet to move onto the National League Championship Series. The fifth inning was the crucial one, in which Nationals ace Max Scherzer came on in relief. However, that pitching mound became a house of horrors for the defending Cy Young Award winner, as there was a disputed dropped third strike with a throwing error, a batter hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and that two-run double by Addison Russell, as the Cubs batted around and took a lead that they tried to give back. Wade Davis got the last seven outs for the Cubs in a bizarre closing role, needing 44 pitches to secure the win. Now the Cubs move on to Hollywood to take on the Dodgers, who are rested and ready after their sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks in their Division Series. The Cubs still have to piece their rotation together, but just as he was at the start of the NLDS, Clayton Kershaw waits to take the hill for the opener and stake his team to an early series lead. Before you make your MLB odds pick on this game, check out our prediction.

NLCS Game 1: Chicago Cubs at LA Dodgers MLB Odds & Pick

#FridayFeeling pic.twitter.com/CekFTYNlmE

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) October 13, 2017

When: Saturday, October 14, 2017, 8:08pm ET Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio Live Stream: MLB.tv MLB Odds: TBA Pitching Matchup: Undecided (CHI) vs Clayton Kershaw (18-4, 2.31 ERA) (LA)

Weather Forecast

• Clear: 22^°C/71^°F
• Humidity: 50%
• Precipitation: 0%
• Wind: 3 mph WNW
• Cloud Cover: 1%
• Type of Stadium: Open

Why should you bet on the Cubs?

Clayton Kershaw might be taking the hill for the Dodgers, but he was anything but dominant in the NLDS opener against the Diamondbacks. He permitted four solo home runs over 6 ⅓ innings, and while the Dodgers’ offense was able to outscore Arizona, this wasn’t one of Kershaw’s more dominant outings. The sweep of the Diamondbacks, though, means that Kershaw has had plenty of rest. Can he turn that into a solid outing and mow down that Cubs lineup that only scored eight runs in Games One through Four of the NLDS before erupting for nine in Game Five? It would make sense for the Cubs to use Jon Lester at some point in this series opener (although the Cubs may start in him Game Two and give this start to John Lackey). Last year, he and Kyle Hendricks combined to hold the Dodger offense to three earned runs over 25 ⅔ innings, posting a combined 1.05 ERA, striking out 20 batters while walking just six. Lester’s postseason career spans 24 appearances (20 starts). Over that span he has posted a combined 2.57 ERA. In the NLDS he made two appearances (but did not pitch in Game Five), putting up a 1.86 combined ERA. No active pitcher has more postseason innings than his 143 ⅓ frames. Remember that the Cubs are 49-25 since the All-Star break, which means that since the midsummer recess they’ve been even hotter than the Dodgers.

Why should you put your money on the Dodgers?

There’s something to be said for letting your team relax and set your lineup and rotation in the order that you want after a sweep. The Dodgers had lost 11 of 19 to Arizona during the regular season, but then they calmly dispatched starting pitchers Robbie Ray, Taijuan Walker and Zack Greinke in three games, showing that they were the class of the National League West. Since then, they’ve watched the Cubs have to fight through all kinds of adversity to get to the NLCS, while their own path has been fairly seamless. Now Kershaw gets to start Game One well rested, in front of his home crowd. The Dodger offense put up 20 runs in three games on three of the best starting pitchers in the National League, against an Arizona team that turned a 69-93 2016 record into a 93-69 2017 campaign. The Cubs ride in on a huge wave of momentum, but Cody Bellinger found his home run swing in Game Three of the NLDS for Los Angeles, taking Greinke deep to left center. Six Dodgers hit at least 20 home runs this season, so if the Cubs’ pitchers make mistakes, the Dodgers should make them pay.

Latest MLB Odds Trends

• Chi Cubs is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
• Chi Cubs is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs’s last 6 games
• LA Dodgers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
• LA Dodgers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers’s last 6 games

Expert MLB Odds Pick and Final Score Prediction

That Game Five win was an immense victory for the Cubs. However, the Dodgers are rested and ready — and now the Cubs have to travel from Washington across the country to play in the Pacific time zone. I see the Dodgers taking this first game as the Cubs are still trying to get their feet under themselves, by a score of 6-1.