MLB Playoff Wagering - Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

You had to feel for Cubs fans in Thursday nights MLB online betting affair as they sat in disgust and watched their team waste another opportunity to scratch the win column; or maybe you gleefully enjoyed it after cashing another big underdog moneyline winner on the Dodgers. Either way, Chicago has a long road ahead of it if in fact it plans on squashing the 100 year curse that’s plagued the team and its fans for so long.

As for LA, they continue to cruise. The Dodgers took advantage of the Cubs poor defense in the 2nd inning to put a five spot on the board, which allowed them to cruise to the easy 10-3 road victory to go up 2-0 in the series. Manny went yard again, while the Cubs’ offense struggled tremendously with yet another young fireballer (Billingsley).

The Cubs have now dropped eight straight playoff games, but the club performed better on the road to close out the year than at home. They won 21 of their final 29 road games throughout the regular season, but they’ll be firmly tested by a Dodger club that played better ball at home all year who comes into this crucial Game 3 winners in 24 of their L/33 Chavez Ravine games.

Getting the call from manager Lou Piniella in this do or die game will be Rich Harden who will be making his first post-season start since 2006 while still a member of the Oakland A’s. He enters his 13th start of the season for Chicago with a sick 1.77 ERA and 0.97 WHIP allowing just 39 hits and 17 runs (14 earned) with a K:BB ratio of 89:30 through 71 total innings of work. Opponents are batting just .157 against him. As a visitor, Harden was rock solid as well going 3-1 with a 1.74 ERA and the Cubs managed to win three of his five overall starts.

That said; he’s walked a total of 16 batters in his L/4 starts through just 22 innings of work, and the Cubs have already seen what the Dodgers can do throughout the first two games of this series if you issue them free passes. He must limit his walks in this outing or else the Cubs will be swept right out of the post-season for the second year in a row. Surprisingly, this will be his first career starts against the Dodgers.

MLB sportsbettors made some nice coin backing Harden throughout the 2008 regular season. The A’s went 9-4 in the 13 games he started for them to reel in close to $500, and the Cubs went 9-3 in his 12 starts to bring in $400 more of pure baseball betting profit. Overall, Harden brought in just under $900 in baseball profits throughout the 2008 regular season.

Hiroki Kuroda had himself a fine rookie season in the big leagues even though his record doesn’t reflect it. He enters his 32nd start of the season with a 9-10 record but boasts a solid 3.73 ERA and 1.22 WHIP allowing 181 hits and 85 runs (76 earned) with a ridiculous K:BB ratio of 116:42 in 183+ total innings of work.

He’s been exceptionally nasty throughout his L/4 starts allowing a total of 22 hits and five earned runs with a K:BB ratio of 14:4 through 22 total innings of work. Kuroda was at his best at Dodgers Stadium compiling a 6-2 mark with a 3.68 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. LA won nine of his 14 home starts.