James Shields Will Try To Continue Padres’ Hot Streak vs Cubs

There are certain teams whose very name seems to be woven into the historic fabric of the game. The Chicago Cubs, and iconic Wrigley Field, are certainly one of those teams, and there is a feeling that they are on the cusp of living up to that legend after years of being the laughing stock of the league. They start a 3-game series against the San Diego Padres on Friday and here you’ll find our preview for the match’s MLB odds.

Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres: MLB Odds Analysis and Game Preview

Date: Friday, April 17, 2015Time: 2:20PMVenue: Wrigley FieldOpening Line: San Diego -110 

Now pitching for the #Padres: @kimbrel46  pic.twitter.com/uQNXYO2HSy— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 16, 2015

With a 5-3 start under their belts, the Cubs are sitting atop the NL Central division, but they are still the subject of some less than pleasant press. The issue is not with the product on the field, but rather the state of Wrigley Field, which looks more like a construction zone than one of the most beloved parks in baseball. The Cubs organization says that things are progressing on that front, and they will certainly have a much easier sell of that story if the team continues to win. The Wrigley faithful will see Jason Hammel (1-0, 4.50 ERA) take to the mound on Friday. A postponement of a game earlier in the season bumped Hammel from his first projected start, but he finally got the nod in a win over the Rockies, where he gave up 3 runs in 6 innings en route to the win.The San Diego Padres were more active than most in the offseason, giving notice that they intend to be a contender this season. They did not get off to the best start, losing 3 of their first 4 games, but they have righted the ship quite nicely, going 5-1 in the 6 games right after that. Having Craig Kimbrel, who they acquired from the Braves, as a closer is going to make them feel very comfortable in those close games that are sure to come as the season progresses. The Padres will counter with James Shields (1-0, 2.08 ERA) on the mound on Friday. Shields has been solid in his first 2 starts, and was particularly good in his last outing versus the Giants, throwing 7 innings of 3 hit ball, and giving up a single earned run.

Key Betting Trends

Chi Cubs is 4-2 SU in its last 6 gamesThe total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs’s last 9 gamesChi Cubs is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at homeThe total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs’s last 6 games at homeSan Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 gamesThe total has gone OVER in 7 of San Diego’s last 10 games

Consider This Before Placing Your Bets

This looks like a pretty good pitching match-up, and I don’t expect a lot of runs to hit the board. The Padres are getting hot right now, and I think they can steal this one if Shields holds up his end of the bargain.