Chicago Cubs vs Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction, Preview and Odds - 08/25/2026

Game Time: 9:40 pm ET, Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Venue:  Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ

Where to Watch:  MLB TV

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -114, Diamondbacks -106; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -115, Diamondbacks -105; Over/Under:  8 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -110, Diamondbacks -110; Over/Under:  8 runs

Chicago Cubs:  75-56 (2nd place, NL Central)

Arizona Diamondbacks:  69-62 (3rd place, NL West)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Team Del Genio is on a HOT STREAK in MLB on a 5-0 MLB RUN for +$5,000 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Chicago Cubs:  4-6 last 10

Arizona Diamondbacks:  5-5 last 10

The Cubs are entering this series off a win and lost their 3-game series against the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 75-56 record overall and have a road record of 37-29. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday with the series opener still to be played on Monday. Their offense ranks 1st in the MLB with a .762 OPS. Kevin Gausman is their starting pitcher on Monday while Clay Holmes is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 5-6 with a 2.49 ERA this season. His team lost 4 of their last 5 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 1 ER, 0 HR, and 2 BB with 1 SO on 6 hits through 5.1 IP against the Chicago White Sox.

The Diamondbacks are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 69-62 record overall and have a home record of 38-28. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Cubs on Tuesday with the 1st game of this series still to be played on Monday. Their offense ranks 15th in the MLB with a .719 OPS. Merrill Kelly is their starting pitcher on Monday while Brandon Pfaadt is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 7-1 with a 3.39 ERA this season. His team won their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 5 earned runs, 3 homers, and 0 walks with 8 strikeouts on 7 hits through 5.2 innings pitched against the Boston Red Sox.

The current betting odds have the Cubs listed as a slight favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cubs have looked really good in their games this season with their 75-56 record overall which has them right near the top of the NL Central. They have been a good road team too with their 37-29 road record this year. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks have looked good in their games this season with their 69-62 record overall which has them right in the middle of the NL West. They have looked good in their own ballpark too with their 38-28 home record this season. The Cubs are 4-6 in their last 10 games and they haven't looked great lately, but the Diamondbacks are 5-5 in their last 10 games and haven't looked any better. The Cubs also have the much stronger offense to lean on here with one of the best in the league and they are going to have the better pitching matchup too. Holmes is on the mound for the Cubs in this one and he has looked great this season. He is 5-6 with a 2.49 ERA and he hasn't been giving up many runs lately. His team has had a lot of trouble with him lately, losing 4 of their last 5 games with him starting, but he is coming off another great start giving up 1 earned run which has been a common theme for him. The Diamondbacks are going with Pfaadt in this one and he has looked good this season too. He is 7-1 with a 3.39 ERA and he has been the opposite of Holmes. His team has been having a ton of success with him lately, winning 2 games in a row now with him starting, but he did give up 5 earned runs in his last start and he has looked shaky at times. The Cubs have been putting up a ton of runs lately and with 2 good starters here, their offense is going to give them the edge. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game. 

Cubs Diamondbacks Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Tuesday, August 25, 2026 (9:40 pm ET start time) is Cubs 5 Diamondbacks 4.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks, best bets, and expert baseball picks today.  And if you enjoyed this Chicago Cubs Arizona Diamondbacks prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily MLB projections and previews.

Chicago Cubs: 53-40 (+9.7 units) on the moneyline against NL West opponents. 255-208 (+19.1 units) on the moneyline in all games. 118-113 (+7 units) on the moneyline in road games. 27-18 OVER on the road when the money line is +125 to -125.

Arizona Diamondbacks: 125-104 (-4.8 units) on the moneyline in home games. 61-56 (-7.8 units) on the moneyline at home with a money line of -100 to -150. 48-58 (-6.1 units) on the moneyline when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 54% to 62%). 54-30 OVER at home when the total is 8 to 8.5.

Chicago Cubs:  P. Maton (RP) Sixty Day IL - Knee. E. Cabrera (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Blister. D. Swanson (SS) Ten Day IL - Side. B. Brown (RP) Sixty Day IL - Neck. G. Hollowell (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Shoulder. M. Shaw (RF) Ten Day IL - Hand. H. Milner (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Appendicitis. R. Martin (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. P. Hodge (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. C. Horton (SP) Sixty Day IL - Forearm. H. Harvey (RP) Sixty Day IL - Tricep. J. Steele (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. T. Austin (1B) Sixty Day IL - Knee. S. Miller (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

Arizona Diamondbacks:  M. Soroka (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Arm. K. Marte (2B) Ten Day IL - Knee. R. Thompson (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Back. Z. Gallen (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. L. Gurriel Jr. (LF) Ten Day IL - Adductor. T. Troy (LF) Ten Day IL - Shoulder. R. Nelson (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. B. Walston (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. C. Mena (SP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. C. Burnes (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. A. Puk (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. A. Saalfrank (RP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder.

“I think Aaron Civale is probably the story of the game, for me. Four innings, comes out and gets out of a jam in the first inning [he pitched], and then goes from there. It kind of normalizes the next series for us.” - Craig Counsell after his team’s win against the Mariners in their game on Sunday. 

“I'm not gonna lie, it was rough. I stood before the cameras and told you how rough it was, and these players were basically echoing some of that frustration and distraction as well. And they're real, and when they talk about it, it's a real thing. But when they say they're coming out the other end and then back it up with their play, it tells me a really good story.” - Torey Lovullo after his team’s win against the Reds in their game on Sunday. 

Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF

Seiya Suzuki (R) RF

Michael Busch (L) 1B

Alex Bregman (R) 3B

Ian Happ (S) LF

Nico Hoerner (R) SS

Pedro Ramírez (S) 2B

Michael Conforto (L) DH

Carson Kelly (R) C

Ildemaro Vargas (S) 2B

Corbin Carroll (L) RF

Gabriel Moreno (R) DH

Geraldo Perdomo (S) SS

Nolan Arenado (R) 3B

Tim Tawa (R) 1B

Jordan Lawlar (R) CF

James McCann (R) C

Ryan Waldschmidt (R) LF

Batting Average:  Gabriel Arias (.500)

Hits:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (140)

Home Runs:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (33)

RBI:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (83)

Stolen Bases:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (32)

Wins:  Colin Rea (8)

Saves:  Jacob Webb (9)

ERA:  Ty Blach (0.00)

Batting Average:  Gabriel Moreno (.306)

Hits:  Corbin Carroll (120)

Home Runs:  Ketel Marte (21)

RBI:  Ketel Marte (67)

Stolen Bases:  Corbin Carroll (18)

Wins:  Eduardo Rodriguez (13)

Saves:  Paul Sewald (24)

ERA:  Justin Martinez (0.00)

Managers:

Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell (3rd season)

Arizona Diamondbacks: Torey Lovullo (10th season)