The Los Angeles Dodgers had a chance to sweep the Chicago Cubs right out of the postseason on Wednesday night, but the Cubs hung tough with two home runs from Javier Baez (who broke an 0-for-20 slump with those solo shots) and a six-out save from Wade Davis. The hardest win in any postseason series is usually the last one, and the Cubs are showing that they may be harder to get rid of than the Dodgers had previously thought. Now the Dodgers return with Clayton Kershaw on the mound. The Cubs respond with Jose Quintana, who came over from the White Sox in a trade-deadline acquisition. Take a look at our NLCS Game 5 advice and MLB odds on this postseason thriller before making your wagers.
Jose Quintana has pitched well in both of his postseason starts, permitting just a pair of earned runs over 11 ⅓ combined innings. He has taken a pair of no-decisions, but that has had more to do with a lack of offensive support than issues with Quintana’s pitching. In the series opener, he gave up those two runs on two hits over five innings, as Kershaw pitched five stellar innings and then the bullpen provided four perfect frames to seal the win. If you like the Cubs, you think that they can get to Kershaw and the bullpen and show more offensive firepower than they have shown for most of this series.
LA Dodgers at Chicago Cubs NLCS Game 5 Pick & Betting Odds
When: Thursday, October 19, 2017, 8:08pm ET Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio Live Stream: MLB.tv NLCS Game 5 Odds: Los Angeles Dodgers -160 Pitching Matchup: Clayton Kershaw (18-4, 2.31 ERA) (LA) vs Jose Quintana (11-11, 4.15 ERA) (CHI)Who’s ready for some more ⚾️ tonight? https://t.co/aIOgoGA9r9 #NLCS pic.twitter.com/mgCg6UXHjT
— MLB (@MLB) October 19, 2017
Weather Forecast
- Clear: 15°C/59°F
- Humidity: 55%
- Precipitation: 2%
- Cloud Cover: 0%
- Wind: 5 mph SSE
- Stadium Type: Open
Why should you bet on the Dodgers?
Clayton Kershaw has only made one start in a potential elimination game, back in the 2013 NLDS, and he stepped up in a big way, throwing six shutout innings in a Dodger win. He has had plenty of rest in this postseason, and those five innings he threw in the series opener did not give him a big pitch count. Six of the Cubs’ regulars have career batting averages of .200 or lower against Kershaw, and only four of them have ever hit home runs off him. Against Jose Quintana, some of the Dodgers have had success in limited exposure. Chris Taylor is 3 for 3 against Quintana so far, and Logan Forsythe is 5 for 11 with a home run and five RBI. Curtis Granderson has only gotten one hit off Quintana in his career, but that was a home run. So there are several Dodgers who have hit the lefty hard. If you like the Dodgers in this game, then you think that they can overcome the hiccups that cost them in Game Four, and Kershaw can avoid throwing those fat pitches that got Alex Wood in trouble last night.Why should you put your money on the Cubs?
The Cubs got all of their runs from the long ball on Wednesday night, as Wilson Contreras belted a 493-foot shot off the video board in left field to account for the Cubs’ third run. The fact that none of those home runs came with runners on base highlights the problems that the Cubs had in getting base hits on the night. Against Kershaw, the Cubs will have to play more of a small ball approach, as they are not likely to get three gopher balls from the Dodgers’ ace.
Jose Quintana has pitched well in both of his postseason starts, permitting just a pair of earned runs over 11 ⅓ combined innings. He has taken a pair of no-decisions, but that has had more to do with a lack of offensive support than issues with Quintana’s pitching. In the series opener, he gave up those two runs on two hits over five innings, as Kershaw pitched five stellar innings and then the bullpen provided four perfect frames to seal the win. If you like the Cubs, you think that they can get to Kershaw and the bullpen and show more offensive firepower than they have shown for most of this series.
NLCS Game 5 Betting Trends
- Cubs are 10-3 SU in their last 13 games at home
- Cubs are 6-3 ATS in their last 9 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
- The total went UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs’s last 5 games at home
- Dodgers are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games
- Dodgers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on the road
- The total went UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers’s last 5 games on the road
