Dodgers vs. Cubs Game 2 MLB Playoffs

October 2, 2008 by Q

Cubs Turn to Zambrano to Tie Series with Dodgers

Okay MLB Sportsbook bettors, I’ll admit that the Chicago Cubs (97-65 SU, 82-74-6 O/U, 83-79 RL) dropped the ball in a big way on Wednesday, losing Game 1 of their NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers (85-78 SU, 74-83-5 O/U, 81-81 RL) 7-2 while simultaneously ruining what would have been a perfect 5-0 MLB wagering day for me.

Now, the Cubs will turn to enigmatic right-hander Carlos Zambrano (14-6, 3.91 ERA), who looks to shake off a career 0-1 postseason record with a 4.37 ERA in four playoff starts.

“Sometimes experience don’t count, you know? There’s people that have a lot of experience in the playoffs and still haven’t performed as good,” Zambrano said. “Just, like I said, if you prepare and you attack the opponent and you come to the ballpark ready and you play good, you’re going to win that day.”

The Dodgers smacked three home runs in Wednesday night’s 7-2 win over Chicago and Ryan Dempster with James Loney’s grand slam in the fifth inning being the ‘death knell’ blow in Game 1.

“It does a lot for our confidence,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. “We know how good Chicago is. We know how consistent they’ve been all year. And to have them get a lead and for us to just maintain our patience, it’s important.”

The Dodgers will counter with right-hander Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14), who will make his first career playoff start. Billingsley, who led the Dodgers staff in wins this season, went a spectacular 4-0 with a 3.30 ERA, over his last five regular season starts, despite the fact that opponents hit a blistering .303 off of him during the span.

Billingsley is 0-1 with 4.91 ERA n two career starts against Chicago, both this season.

Zambrano went 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA two starts against the Dodgers this season and has an underwhelming 0-2 with a 5.12 ERA in three career starts against L.A. at Wrigley Field.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my analysis and MLB Free Picks:

The Dodgers are 9-0 in their last 9 during game 2 of a series.
The Dodgers are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
The Cubs are 7-1 in their last 8 Thursday games.
The Cubs are 4-1 in their last 5 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
The Over is 4-0-1 in Billingsley’s last 5 starts overall.
The Over is 4-0 in Zambrano’s last 4 starts during game 2 of a series.
The Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Chicago.

MLB Odds

Los Angeles Dodgers +1 ½ -150
Chad Billingsley –R +150

Chicago Cubs -1 ½ +130
Carlos Zambrano –R -170

Analysis: Sure, Carlos Zambrano can be a total head case at times, but the fact of the matter is that he’s often overpowering and knows the Cubs need this win like their collective lives depended on it. While I’ve always liked Chad Billingsley and know he’s going to get even better as his career progresses, I just don’t see him leading L.A. to a win tonight against a superior Cubs team. Take ‘Big Z’ to get the job done for the Cubbies tonight MLB bettors.