Chicago Cubs vs Arizona Diamondbacks Picks and Prediction for Monday August 24, 2026

The Chicago Cubs travel to Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, to face the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, August 24, 2026. First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 PM ET, with MLB.TV providing television coverage. Chicago enters the matchup at 74-56 overall and 36-29 on the road, while Arizona is 68-62 overall and 37-28 at home. The Cubs have dropped three straight but remain seven games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central, while Arizona sits 11 games behind Los Angeles in the NL West. Chicago has also won all three meetings with Arizona this season. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Bettors looking for more baseball analysis can check out our free MLB picks.

Starting Pitchers

Chicago is expected to start Kevin Gausman, who enters at 6-11 with a 4.58 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 143.1 innings. Gausman has allowed 146 hits while recording an impressive 143 strikeouts against only 40 walks, with 18 home runs surrendered. Arizona counters with Merrill Kelly, who is 8-11 with a 5.37 ERA and 1.52 WHIP through 129 innings. Kelly has allowed 139 hits and struck out 84 while issuing 57 walks and surrendering 26 home runs. Neither starter brings dominant run-prevention numbers into Monday, but Chicago owns the statistical advantage with Gausman's lower ERA, lower WHIP, significantly stronger strikeout production and superior strikeout-to-walk profile.

Cubs Try to End Three-Game Slide

Chicago comes into Phoenix having lost three consecutive games, including back-to-back one-run defeats of 6-5 in 10 innings and 5-4. The Cubs are 2-3 across their last five, with their other defeat during that stretch coming 3-0. Despite the recent downturn, Chicago remains 18 games over .500 and has played winning baseball away from home with a 36-29 road record.

The Cubs have produced the stronger offensive numbers in this matchup. Chicago is batting .248 with a .337 on-base percentage and .420 slugging percentage, scoring 665 runs on 1,108 hits with 170 home runs. The pitching staff owns a 4.15 ERA and 1.26 WHIP while holding opposing hitters to a .244 batting average.

Chicago's offensive production is particularly noteworthy when compared directly with Arizona. The Cubs have scored 72 more runs and hit 41 more home runs despite the clubs having played the same number of games. Chicago has also been excellent in night games at 46-29, and Monday presents an opportunity for the Cubs to end their losing streak against a team they have already beaten three times this season.

Diamondbacks Seek Better Pitching at Home

Arizona enters Monday at 68-62 after losing 11-5 in its most recent completed game. The Diamondbacks are 2-3 over their last five, with victories of 9-0 and 7-6 surrounded by losses of 11-5, 9-4 and 11-1. Those results illustrate the volatility Arizona has experienced recently, with the Diamondbacks allowing 37 runs across those five games.

Arizona is batting .245 with a .318 on-base percentage and .400 slugging percentage. The Diamondbacks have scored 593 runs while collecting 1,069 hits and 129 home runs. Their pitching staff enters with a 4.20 ERA and 1.29 WHIP while opponents are batting .253 against them.

The Diamondbacks' 37-28 home record is one of their strongest arguments entering Monday, but the starting pitching matchup creates concerns. Arizona has already lost three times to Chicago this season by scores of 6-5, 2-0 and 8-4. The Cubs have therefore outscored Arizona 16-9 in the season series, and Chicago's stronger offensive profile gives the visitors an opportunity to continue that success.

Chicago Cubs vs Arizona Diamondbacks Picks and Prediction

Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline

Chicago is the preferred side despite entering on a three-game losing streak. Two of those defeats came by a single run, so the recent results are not quite as poor as the streak initially suggests. More importantly, the Cubs have the better offensive profile and the more appealing starting pitching numbers. Chicago has significant advantages in runs scored, home runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, while Gausman's 143 strikeouts against 40 walks compare very favorably with Kelly's 84 strikeouts and 57 walks. With Chicago already 3-0 against Arizona this season, the Cubs are the pick to make it four straight in the season series.

Final Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline

Pick: Over 9.0

Take the Over if the total is set at 9.0. Arizona's last five games have produced combined totals of 16, nine, 13, 13 and 12 runs, while the Diamondbacks have surrendered 31 runs across their three losses during that span. Kelly's 5.37 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 26 home runs allowed create an inviting matchup for a Chicago offense that has scored 665 runs and hit 170 homers. Gausman's 4.58 ERA also leaves Arizona with a reasonable path to contributing enough offense, making a higher-scoring game the preferred total angle.

Final Pick: Over 9.0

This game preview was completed prior to game play on Monday.