The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Monday night, and the two-time reigning champions arrive in an unfamiliar spot. Los Angeles has dropped three straight, including a home sweep, while Chicago has quietly been one of the National League’s steadier clubs. The Dodgers are narrow road favorites on the moneyline, yet the betting market is not moving the way the ticket count suggests it should. That gap between where the public is piling in and where the price is settling points our headline play toward the home side.
Last Updated: Monday, August 3, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL |
| When | August 3, 2026 — 8:05 PM ET |
| TV | Marquee Sports Network / Spectrum SportsNet LA |
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
Pitching sets the tone here, and both clubs hand the ball to a left-hander. Justin Wrobleski has been a revelation for the Dodgers, sitting at 11-2 with a 2.88 ERA and a tidy 1.02 WHIP while averaging better than six innings per outing. His last time out was a blemish, though, with five runs over six innings in a no-decision against Seattle. Matthew Boyd counters for Chicago at 6-1 with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Boyd has been sharp lately, working seven innings in each of his last two starts and allowing no earned runs in his most recent one, a hard-luck extra-innings loss to St. Louis. Both arms are listed as the probable starters.
The season-long numbers favor Wrobleski, but the recent form belongs to the Cubs. Chicago is 6-4 over its last 10 with a plus-24 run differential and a 2.27 team ERA in that stretch. That is the profile of a club playing clean, low-mistake baseball. Los Angeles, in contrast, is 5-5 in its last 10 with a bloated 4.65 ERA and was just outplayed in a home sweep by Boston, as we covered in our recent Dodgers prediction coverage. The Dodgers still carry the sport’s most dangerous bats, with Shohei Ohtani at 24 home runs and Freddie Freeman red-hot at 22-for-40 over 10 games. The Cubs answer with Pete Crow-Armstrong at 24 homers and a locked-in Nico Hoerner. In the standings, the Dodgers lead the NL West at 69-43, while the Cubs sit second in the Central at 63-49 but hold the top NL wild-card spot by four games.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs Odds
| Run Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodgers | -1.5 (+135) | -126 | U 8.0 (-105) |
| Cubs | +1.5 (-160) | +106 | O 8.0 (-115) |
Odds accurate as of August 3, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest MLB Odds – Futures – Props
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Dodgers | 69% | 31% | Cubs |
See the latest MLB Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Dodgers vs. Cubs Prediction — Is the Public Overloading the Wrong Side?
Start with the market, because it is telling a quiet story. The public has hammered Los Angeles, with 81% of moneyline tickets and 69% of run-line tickets landing on the Dodgers. Normally that kind of lopsided action drags the favorite’s price up. Instead, the Dodgers have drifted the other way, from an open of -128 to -126, while the Cubs held firm near +106. When heavy public money fails to move a line, it often signals that sharper dollars sit on the contrarian side.
The baseball supports that read. Chicago is the hotter team, it is at home, and it sends out a starter who has strung together two strong outings. Los Angeles is reeling, its pitching has sprung leaks over the past week, and even elite offenses can go quiet on the road. Boyd has also handled the Dodgers before, going 2-1 with a 3.72 ERA across four career meetings. A home underdog does not need to be the better roster to win a single game.
None of that makes Chicago a sure thing. Wrobleski owns the better season profile and actually blanked the Cubs over six innings back in April, and one rough start against Seattle does not erase months of front-line work. Ohtani and Freeman can flip a game with two swings. Still, at plus money, backing a live home underdog against an overbet, slumping favorite is exactly the kind of price-and-signal alignment that pays out over a long season.
The Pick: Cubs Moneyline (+106)
Dodgers vs. Cubs Prediction — Will Two Lefties Keep It Quiet?
The total opened at 8.5 and has already ticked down to 8.0, a small but telling move toward the under. The setup supports it. Two left-handers who work into the middle innings take the mound, and Wrobleski in particular pairs strikeout ability with strong command that keeps traffic off the bases. Chicago’s staff has been excellent lately, posting a 2.27 team ERA over the last 10 games that helps cap late-inning damage.
The counterweight is real. Wrigley Field can play big when conditions favor hitters, and both lineups carry legitimate thump with Ohtani, Freeman, Crow-Armstrong, and a hot Hoerner all capable of quick rallies. Wrobleski also just surrendered five runs in his last outing, so the floor is not airtight. Even so, with the number sliding and two rotation arms who limit walks, the lean is toward a quieter night than the offenses’ reputations suggest.
The Pick: Under 8.0 (-105)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
This is a spot where the market and the matchup point the same direction, which does not happen every night. The Dodgers are the better roster on paper, but they are the wrong kind of favorite right now: overbet, slumping, and on the road against a team playing its cleanest baseball of the summer. The early innings are the swing point. If Wrobleski rediscovers the command that built his 2.88 ERA, Los Angeles has the bats to take over and the whole read flips. If he labors the way he did in Seattle, Chicago’s patient lineup will make him work.
The other number to watch is how Craig Counsell deploys that rested relief corps. Chicago’s 2.27 team ERA over the last 10 games is the quiet engine behind both of our leans, and it is what makes a close, low-scoring night the likeliest outcome. Put it together and we land on two plays: the Cubs on the moneyline at +106, and the under 8.0 at -105.
MLB Dodgers vs. Cubs FAQ: Monday August 3, 2026
What time does the Dodgers vs. Cubs game start?
First pitch is set for 8:05 p.m. ET on Monday, August 3, 2026, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Los Angeles enters as the road team riding a three-game losing streak, while Chicago returns home after dropping two of three to the New York Yankees over the weekend.
What channel is the Dodgers vs. Cubs game on?
The game airs locally on Marquee Sports Network in the Chicago market and on Spectrum SportsNet LA in the Los Angeles market. Regional coverage means the broadcast is tied to each club’s home territory, so availability depends on your television provider and any local blackout rules that apply in your area.
Who is pitching for the Dodgers and Cubs?
The Dodgers send left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who carries an 11-2 record and a 2.88 ERA into the start. The Cubs counter with fellow lefty Matthew Boyd, who is 6-1 with a 3.41 ERA. Both starters have served as multi-inning rotation anchors for their clubs this season.
Where are the Dodgers and Cubs playing today?
The two teams meet at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, with the Cubs serving as the home club. The Dodgers are the designated road team, so they bat first in each half-inning. Wrigley is the Cubs’ permanent home ballpark and one of the oldest venues in the majors.
Where do the Dodgers and Cubs stand in their divisions?
The Dodgers sit atop the National League West at 69-43, the best mark in that division. The Cubs are 63-49, second in the National League Central, but they hold the top National League wild-card spot with a four-game cushion. Both clubs are firmly in the playoff picture.