Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Friday April 24 2026
Use Code WWWC Chicago heads to Dodger Stadium on April 24 riding one of the hottest streaks in baseball, taking on a Los Angeles team that still owns elite underlying metrics despite dealing with significant injuries. Bettors working through the night's top MLB predictions will find this Cubs vs Dodgers matchup especially interesting because the Cubs enter on a nine-game winning streak and get the better of the starting pitching comparison, with Jameson Taillon squaring off against an Emmet Sheehan carrying a 5.85 ERA. With Mookie Betts out for Los Angeles and Chicago's lineup clicking on all cylinders, the underdog side of this matchup offers the kind of value that is hard to ignore.
Quick Picks and Prediction
- Spread Pick: Cubs +1.5
- Total Pick: Over 9
- Projected Final Score: Cubs 6, Dodgers 5
Odds and Line Movement
The market on this matchup has moved steadily toward Los Angeles, with the Dodgers opening at -168 and tightening slightly to the current -166 number. Chicago has been bet from +142 down to +136 before moving back up to +140 as the underdog, giving bettors a chance to catch the Cubs at plus money heading into first pitch. Public money has been heavy on Los Angeles at 91 percent on the most recent ticks, which creates a real contrarian angle given the Cubs' current winning streak and the pitching matchup edge. The total has dropped notably from 9.5 down to 9, with the action mixed between the Over and Under in the 60 to 63 percent ranges.
Opening Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Chi. Cubs | +142 | Over 9½ -108 |
| LA Dodgers | -168 | Under 9½ -112 |
Current Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Chi. Cubs | +140 | Over 9 -114 |
| LA Dodgers | -166 | Under 9 -106 |
Line Movement - Run Line
| Date | Time | Chi. Cubs | LA Dodgers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/24 | 07:12:20AM | +140 | -166 |
| 04/24 | 07:11:56AM | +136 | -162 |
| 04/23 | 04:18:53PM | +142 | -168 |
Line Movement - Total
| Date | Time | Over | Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/24 | 10:16:50AM | 9 -114 | 9 -106 |
| 04/24 | 10:16:37AM | 9 -112 | 9 -108 |
| 04/24 | 09:17:18AM | 9½ +114 | 9½ -140 |
| 04/24 | 08:49:30AM | 9½ -102 | 9½ -120 |
| 04/24 | 01:44:35AM | 9½ +100 | 9½ -122 |
| 04/23 | 07:28:39PM | 9½ -105 | 9½ -115 |
| 04/23 | 04:18:53PM | 9½ -108 | 9½ -112 |
Cubs vs Dodgers Key Matchups and Handicap
Cubs
Chicago enters this matchup on a nine-game winning streak, having swept through their last five with wins of 8-7, 7-2, 7-4, 5-1 and 2-1. That stretch shows the Cubs have been able to win in multiple styles — high-scoring shootouts and tight, low-scoring games alike — which is exactly the kind of form profile that travels well into any matchup. Jameson Taillon gets the ball for the Cubs at 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, 22.2 innings pitched, 20 hits allowed, 21 strikeouts, nine walks and six home runs surrendered. The home-run total is the one concern against a Dodgers lineup that has connected for 42 home runs as a team, but Taillon's command and overall profile is significantly cleaner than what Sheehan has shown.
The Cubs' offense has been rolling during the winning streak, led by Nico Hoerner, who has been the engine at .304 with a .381 OBP, a .490 slugging mark, four home runs and 22 RBI. Ian Happ has supplied additional pop with seven home runs and 14 RBI, and the team as a whole is hitting .267 with 230 hits, 32 home runs, a .357 OBP and a .427 slugging percentage. That .357 OBP is actually slightly better than the Dodgers' .355, which is a telling data point because on-base ability is exactly what Chicago needs to take advantage of Sheehan's 1.40 WHIP and eight walks in 20 innings. With the lineup clicking and Taillon on the mound, the Cubs have a legitimate path to either winning outright at plus money or staying within a run to cash the +1.5 spread.
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Dodgers
Los Angeles still owns the better season-long offensive profile, batting .279 with 237 hits, 42 home runs, a .355 OBP and a .473 slugging percentage. The team pitching metrics are also elite at a 3.27 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP, which slightly outpaces Chicago's 3.44 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Those underlying numbers are what keeps the Dodgers as the moneyline favorite even without Betts and Snell, but the specific pitching matchup for this game skews in a different direction. Emmet Sheehan is 2-0, but his 5.85 ERA and 1.40 WHIP across 20.0 innings suggest real danger beneath the win-loss record, with 20 hits, eight walks and four home runs already allowed in a small sample.
The Dodgers still have dangerous bats in the lineup, with Max Muncy providing eight home runs and Andy Pages delivering a fantastic .337 average, .388 OBP, .551 slugging percentage, five home runs and 21 RBI. Pages has been one of the best hitters in baseball through the early part of the season, and his presence provides Los Angeles with a reliable run-producer in the middle of the order. However, the absence of Mookie Betts is a massive factor that cannot be overstated — Betts is an elite bat, defender and table-setter, and removing him from the lineup fundamentally changes how the Dodgers generate offense. Combined with Sheehan's shaky profile and a Cubs team that has been hot, the Dodgers' edges on paper are much thinner than the -166 price suggests.
Betting Trends - CHC vs LAD
The Cubs' nine-game winning streak is the single most important trend angle in this matchup, with the recent five-game stretch producing scores of 8-7, 7-2, 7-4, 5-1 and 2-1 that show both scoring ability and the capacity to win tight games. Chicago's hot form, combined with Los Angeles missing Betts, creates a realistic underdog angle that the public has not recognized — 91 percent of moneyline money is on the Dodgers despite the Cubs' obvious momentum and pitching-matchup edge. The total has moved from 9.5 to 9, and the split between Over and Under money suggests the market is uncertain, but both starters have shown vulnerability to home runs, and the lineups on both sides have legitimate power, which supports the Over 9 lean.
Key Injuries and Notes - CHC vs LAD
Chicago is missing Jaxon Wiggins, Jeff Brigham, Trent Thornton and Phil Maton, while Caleb Thielbar is listed as day-to-day, all of which thins the pitching staff and creates some late-game bullpen concerns. Those absences are not ideal, but they do not significantly alter the top of the Cubs' lineup or the Taillon start. The Dodgers are without Brock Stewart, Landon Knack, Mookie Betts, Ben Casparius and Blake Snell, and the absences of Betts and Snell are the most impactful. Betts' removal from the lineup cannot be replicated — he is a top-tier hitter, defender and leadoff presence — and Snell being out weakens the rotation depth behind Sheehan's start. Those injuries combined with Sheehan's shaky early-season numbers give the Cubs a realistic path to a win or cover, even on the road against a team favored by -166.
Cubs vs Dodgers ATS and Total Picks
- Against the Spread: Cubs +1.5 is the preferred side play, supported by Chicago's nine-game winning streak, the Taillon vs Sheehan pitching edge, the absence of Mookie Betts for Los Angeles, and the contrarian value against 91 percent public money on the Dodgers.
- Total: Over 9 is the lean, backed by Taillon's six home runs allowed in 22.2 innings, Sheehan's 5.85 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, both lineups carrying significant power profiles, and the Cubs' recent scoring pattern of 7, 7, 8, 5 and 2 runs across the last five games.
Final Score Prediction
The projected final score is Cubs 6, Dodgers 5. Chicago should take advantage of Sheehan's command issues to produce multiple runs through Hoerner and Happ, while Taillon keeps the Dodgers' depleted lineup just contained enough to let the Cubs' momentum carry the day. Eleven total projected runs clears the Over 9 number, and a one-run Cubs win cashes the +1.5 spread while also hitting the moneyline at plus money, giving bettors multiple ways to align with the contrarian handicap in this Cubs vs Dodgers matchup.
How to Bet Cubs vs Dodgers
For bettors looking to get action on this Cubs vs Dodgers matchup, there are several strong options depending on your state and preferred platform. If legal online sportsbooks are not available in your area or you want a free-to-play alternative, social sportsbooks are a solid way to get involved with MLB action through promotional coins and daily rewards that fit well on a high-profile late-night matchup like this one. Bettors in legal states looking for competitive plus-money pricing and strong Over markets should consider the bet365 bonus code, which pairs well with a game like this where the Cubs moneyline, Cubs +1.5 and Over 9 are all viable plays. Another strong option is the fliff promo code, which unlocks bonus coins that can be applied across moneylines, run lines, totals and home-run props, giving bettors the flexibility to shop Hoerner, Happ and Pages props alongside the primary sides and totals in this Cubs vs Dodgers matchup.
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