Chicago Cubs @ Arizona Diamondbacks - March 28, 2025

As a former coach who’s spent countless hours analyzing the intricacies of baseball, I’m looking forward to tonight’s matchup between the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Both teams come into this game with something to prove, especially after their recent clash where the Cubs emerged victorious with a 10-6 win. It’s a fresh slate for both sides, and I anticipate a fiercely competitive contest.

Let’s first take a look at the pitching duel we’re going to witness. On one side, we have the Cubs’ right-hander who is still searching for his first win of the season but boasts an impressive 0.00 ERA. This is not just good fortune; it suggests he has command over his pitches and an ability to keep hitters off balance. His strikeout rate of 8.321 per nine innings reflects that capability; he can blow it past batters when necessary while also being adept at mixing in off-speed pitches to induce weak contact.

On the other hand, we have the Diamondbacks’ ace with similar numbers—an equally pristine 0.00 ERA coupled with a slightly less prolific strikeout rate of 8.105 per nine innings. The matchup suggests that we’re in for a battle of wills on the mound tonight as both pitchers will be looking to maintain their unblemished ERAs.

When comparing overall team stats, we see that Arizona comes into this game averaging around 5.5 runs and almost 9 hits per game, indicating they can produce offensively when needed. Their .257 batting average provides them solid production throughout their lineup, and with an on-base slugging percentage nearing 76%, they are capable of making consistent hard contact—which could spell trouble for any pitcher.

Conversely, Chicago has struggled somewhat offensively thus far this season, managing only about 4.5 runs per game alongside a lower batting average of .235. Their offensive output may struggle against well-timed pitching unless they can find ways to improve their run production tonight.

Now onto my predictions: I foresee Arizona taking advantage of their home field conditions combined with stronger offensive capabilities than what we’ve seen from Chicago so far this year—especially if they can capitalize early against Taillon before settling into his rhythm.

Considering all factors—pitching effectiveness from both sides as well as offensive statistics—I predict that Arizona will edge out Chicago in what should be an exciting showdown filled with plenty of offense given both teams’ ability to score runs at higher-than-average rates recently seen in MLB games this season.

Therefore, I’m leaning towards Arizona winning tonight’s contest while expecting total runs scored to exceed current totals placed by oddsmakers—a strong nod towards betting on the OVER based on both teams’ hitting capabilities and tendency toward high-scoring affairs early in this season.