Diamondbacks vs. Cubs Series Betting Trends July 19-21, 2024

• The Cubs have failed to put together consecutive wins against the Diamondbacks over the last 14 meetings.
• Arizona's Christian Walker is widely considered to be among the best defensive first basemen.
• The Cubs have faced Zac Gallen on 46 occasions.  He's allowed just 8 runs and 2 RBI's versus the Cubs, who are .174 against him.

The Diamondbacks hit the road in Chicago Friday, returning from the All Star Break where they will start off the second half of the season a game above the .500 mark.  That may not sound so great, however, Arizona had managed to go 10-5 the final 15 games leading up to the halfway mark. 

The Cubs sat four games under the .500 mark and went 8-3 to close out their final eleven games.

Over the last 14 meetings, the Cubs have failed to string together consecutive wins.  Arizona is 10-4 in the series over that span.

Diamondbacks and Cubs Power Rankings

ESPN's final power ranking checks on these teams before the break:

Diamondbacks

"First base in the NL is a tough field to crack, but when you're identifying players who were snubbed from the initial unveiling of All-Star rosters, Christian Walker is undoubtedly among the most prominent. Walker is the sport's best defensive first baseman, a back-to-back Gold Glove Award winner who ranks sixth in outs above average -- among all positions, including the ones with more playmaking opportunities -- since the start of 2022. This year, he has taken his offense to another level, his adjusted OPS jumping to 137. That his All-Star snub came shortly after he belted five home runs in one three-game series from Dodger Stadium made it all the more glaring." -- Alden Gonzalez

The Diamondbacks have only been betting favorites in two of their last twelve road games.

Cubs

"It's telling of their season that the Cubs have $20 million-plus players all over the diamond, but it's a rookie -- Shota Imanaga -- who is their lone All-Star. Another rookie, first baseman Michael Busch, probably should have made it, while Ian Happ's late first-half surge didn't net him a bid either. It underscores the point that Chicago has a bunch of solid players but no current or budding superstars. They don't grow on trees, but most championship-caliber clubs -- by definition -- have one or two of them. The Cubs are still looking." -- Jesse Walker

Diamondbacks Pitching

Zac Gallen (6-5, 3.87 ERA)

Zac Gallen was absolutely clobbered in a no-decision against the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon, giving up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in just 3 2/3 innings of work.

Gallen pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed five runs — four earned — in a loss to the Braves prior to that start.

The Cubs have faced Gallen on 46 occasions.  He's allowed just 8 runs and 2 RBI's versus the Cubs, who are .174 against him.

Ryne Nelson (6-6, 4.98 ERA)

Ryne Nelson allowed three runs while working seven innings in a no-decision Friday versus the Blue Jays. Nelson didn’t allow a run over the first four innings, but he allowed runners to cross over the next three.  He had a win prior to this against the Padresand had provided the Diamondbacks with a nice lift, having had strong showings in five of his last six outings.

Cubs Pitching

Justin Steel (2-3, 2.71 ERA) Justin Steele threw seven shutout innings on Thursday in a win over the Orioles and went the distance for his first win of 2024 prior to that, pitching a two-hitting in a 5-1 game against the Angels.

Gabriel Moreno is 4-for-5 against him while Christian Walker is just 1-for-9.