Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago
When: Friday, August 18, 2017, 2:20 PM ET
Line: Toronto Blue Jays (+160) vs. Chicago Cubs (-180) – view all MLB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
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Betting on the Toronto Blue Jays (59-62)
J.A. Happ’s last three starts have resulted to wins so Toronto fans are reasonably expecting for the same outcome later tonight, when the 10-year veteran lefty steps on the mound in Wrigley Field.
Over that three-start stretch, Happ has allowed just three earned runs on 14 hits across 18.2 total innings while picking up a W in each outing.
Happ neutralized the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last start, yielding just an earned run on four hits in 6.0 innings of a 7-1 win at home on Aug. 13. The Blue Jays are 2-2 in Happ’s last two road starts.
While the offense hasn’t been as explosive this season for the Blue Jays as it was the past year, Josh Donaldson and Kevin Pillar will still be wielding a pair of hot bats in tonight’s game. Donaldson is 10-for-24 with three homers in his past seven games as of this writing, while Pillar is 6-for-20 during the same span.
Betting on the Chicago Cubs (63-57)
Jake Arrieta is starting to gain some steam again after silencing the Arizona Diamondbacks’ offense in his last start in which he gave up just one earned run on three hits while striking out six in six innings of a 7-2 road win on Aug. 7.
Since the start of the second half of the season, Arrieta has gone 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA. On the season, Arrieta is 12-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 24 starts. Chicago bettors might also like the fact that the current Toronto lineup has a collective career batting average of .175 against the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner. Jose Bautista seems powerless against him, as the Blue Jays slugger is just 0-for-13 against Arrieta.
Meanwhile, Jon Jay and Anthony Rizzo have their eyes set on lighting up Happ. Jay is 5-for-12 against Happ, while Rizzo is 5-for-8 with a homer opposite the lefty.
Chicago is batting .260 this season against southpaws.
Writer’s Prediction
Chicago (-180) wins, 4-2.
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