Cubs vs. Phillies Free Pick August 14

The Cubs-Phillies total was trending towards 8.5 but you can still get this one at 9.  The UNDER was looking good here.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Cole Hamels (6-3, 3.09 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Aaron Nola (10-3, 3.67)

Although Hamels will be making his first start in Philly with an opponent's uniform, the left-hander has faced the Phillies on one occasion -- allowing three runs on nine hits in four innings in a no-decision at Wrigley Field on May 22. The 35-year-old sported a 114-90 mark with Philadelphia from 2006-15 after being signed as a first-round pick in the 2002 amateur draft. Hamels returned from an oblique injury with a strong performance against Milwaukee on Aug. 3 before struggling five days later versus Cincinnati, against which he permitted five runs on eight hits in three innings of a no-decision.

Nola sustained his first loss since June 21 on Thursday after allowing three runs on seven hits in five innings of a 5-0 setback at San Francisco. The 26-year-old improved to 2-1 with a 5.11 ERA in four career starts against Chicago on May 23 after yielding three runs on four hits in 5 1/3 frames of a 9-7 victory. Nola kept the Cubs in the park in that contest, but Anthony Rizzo is 4-for-9 with two homers and four RBIs against him in his career.

Both are solid pitchers, both are coming off rough outings with Hamels no-decision and Nola's loss.

The UNDER is 7-1 in Hamels' last 8 starts overall.

While five of the last ten meetings have stayed UNDER 9, two more fell on that number.

We will take the UNDER 9 here.

- Tony Caliente, Gambling911.com