There’s no reason for you to suffer the mid-week blues, as this Thursday, we’ve got a couple of stunning matchups from the MLB playoffs and the NFL regular season alike.
The Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers will start this blockbuster evening with the ever-crucial Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, with both teams now tied at two games apiece. Shortly after, the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers will also kick-off in Lambeau Field for what should be another intense divisional clash.
If you can’t decide as for which of these two games you’d rather watch intently, at least you can take a gander at our brief preview below for these showdowns that you should definitely to bet on at the same time.
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Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (8:00 PM ET)
Line: Chicago Cubs (TBA) at Los Angeles Dodgers (TBA) – view all MLB lines
After getting shutout in Games 2 and 3 of the NLCS, the Chicago Cubs’ supposedly hot bats finally caught fire on Wednesday and won 10-2 to draw dead-even at two games apiece in the series, which has sets up the massive rubber match this Thursday night.
The Cubs are not likely going to score in double digits once more, so that leaves it up to their pitching staff to deliver the goods again. Luckily for them, AL Cy Young candidate Jon Lester will take the mound in Game 5. Lester has allowed just one run over 14 innings of work this postseason, and he even has a dazzling 0.86 ERA against the Dodgers this year.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers need Kenta Meada to regain his regular-season form, and fast. Maeda has yet to last beyond the fifth inning in each of his last four starts, all the while sporting a miserable 9.88 ERA during that stretch. He does boast a solid 3.22 ERA at home this season, but the Cubs’ offense has finally gotten its groove back, which spells all kinds of trouble for the struggling Japanese hurler.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cubs win, 6-3, and move one game closer towards their first World Series appearance since 1945.
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers (8:25 PM ET)
Line: Chicago Bears (+8) at Green Bay Packers (-8); total: 46.0 – view all NFL lines
The Chicago Bears have yet to win on the road this season, but their (mis)fortunes could very well change this Thursday night in Lambeau, where they’ve won two of the past three meetings against the Green Bay Packers.
Now’s an opportune time for the Bears to pounce on their NFC North Rivals. Green Bay has not gotten solid performances out of Aaron Rodgers for much of this season, with the two-time league MVP having thrown for just 10 touchdowns with an uncharacteristic 88.4 passer rating no thanks to his four picks and five fumbles. To make matters worse, the Packers even declared seven players out of Thursday’s contest, including the starting backfield tandem of Eddie Lacy and James Starks.
Still, there aren’t a lot of positive things to build on from the Bears, either. They’re averaging just 16.8 points scored per game this season, and that’s a shame since theyrank fourth in the NFL with 284.2 passing yards per contest. Brian Hoyer actually has over 200 more passing yards than Rodgers through an equal number of starts this season (five), and he has yet to be picked off since taking over Jay Cutler’s starting job in Week 2.
Writer’s Prediction
Green Bay escapes with a much-needed win, but barely. Chicago covers the relatively wide +8 spread, 27-24.
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