The Chicago Cubs head west enjoying one of the strongest early-season runs in baseball, while the Los Angeles Dodgers return home looking to reassert control after a mediocre stretch by their standards. Both clubs enter this Friday night meeting with playoff expectations and deep lineups capable of producing runs in bunches. Before this marquee matchup begins in LA, you will find my breakdown of the game below, including my Cubs vs Dodgers prediction in the betting markets.
Cubs vs Dodgers Pick
- Pick: Chicago Cubs ML
- Confidence: 3 out of 5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Date & Time: Friday, April 24, 2026, 10:15 PM ET
- Starting Pitchers: Jameson Taillon vs Emmet Sheehan
- Stadium: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
- Broadcast: Apple TV+
Key Storylines
- Cubs enter at 16-9 and have won 9 straight games going into this huge test against the Dodgers.
- Dodgers sit at 17-8 but have dropped 3 of their last 5 games and will try to get back on track here.
- Beyond just the immediate impact that this game will have on the records for both teams, this game is also huge from a morale standpoint, especially for the Cubs. If they can prove that they can beat the Dodgers on the road in a huge test, that could be huge for the confidence of the Cubbies moving forward.
Pitching Matchup
- Jameson Taillon has a 3.97 ERA with 21 strikeouts across 22.2 innings
- Taillon carries a solid 1.28 WHIP and limits traffic effectively. But he has allowed 6 home runs and has to be careful against a dangerous Dodgers lineup.
- Emmet Sheehan is 2-0 but owns a 5.85 ERA through 20 innings.
- Sheehan has allowed 4 home runs and posted a 1.40 WHIP.
Key Players
- Nico Hoerner is hitting .304 with 22 RBI and is leading the Cubs in both of those categories.
- Dansby Swanson has 5 home runs despite a lower batting average, while Ian Happ leads the Cubs with 7 home runs.
- Andy Pages leads the Dodgers with a .337 average and 21 RBI thus far.
- Shohei Ohtani adds power with 5 home runs and is a dangerous middle-of-the-order presence.
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first meeting of the season between the Cubs and Dodgers.
- The Cubs are 15-9-1 to the over so far this season.
- The under is 14-11 in games involving the Dodgers going into Friday night's game.
Cubs vs Dodgers Model Projection
- Score Projection: Chicago Cubs 6 - Los Angeles Dodgers 5
- Win Probability: Chicago Cubs 52%, Los Angeles Dodgers 48%
Chicago enters in stronger recent form, and their lineup has produced consistently with runners on base. Taillon offers more stability than Sheehan, who has struggled with run prevention despite a winning record. That difference on the mound could be enough to tilt a tight game in Chicago's favor.
Los Angeles still has elite offensive upside, especially at home, but recent inconsistency and pitching volatility leave the door open for the Cubbies. With the Cubs playing confident baseball and getting plus money, I think that the Cubs are a nice value play on the moneyline here.
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