The Houston Astros (7-16) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (13-9) on Tuesday, April 23rd. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on MARQ. Both the Astros and Cubs are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 7:40 ET.
Astros vs Cubs
Houston closed out their series vs. the Nationals with a 6-0 loss. Heading into the game, the Astros were the heavy favorite at -170. Things really got away from the Astros in the 1st inning, as the Nationals scored three runs in the inning. Houston’s offense didn’t score their first run until the 4th.
Hunter Brown got the start for the Astros and took the loss. He only lasted four innings, giving up three earned runs. Offensively, the Astros had four fewer hits than the Nationals but scored just as many runs. Chas McCormick had two hits and scored the team’s only run. The Astros also didn’t have a single player with more than one RBI.
Houston comes into today’s game vs. the Cubs with a 7-16 overall record, and they have lost two straight games. The Astros are in 5th place in the AL West, two games behind the Angels for 4th place and five games behind the Rangers for the division lead. The Astros have gone 4-3 against other teams in the AL West.
So far, Houston has really struggled at home, going 4-9, and they have been just slightly better on the road at 3-7. This season, the Astros are just 5-13 when favored and 2-3 as the underdog. Their overall series record is 2-4-1, and they have lost two straight series.
When the Astros are favored, they are a poor bet to cover the run line. They are just 5-13 on the run line when favored this season. Their overall run line record is 8-15, and they have lost their last two games against the run line. Their average run differential is -1.2 runs per game, but they have been outscored by 3.1 runs per game on the road. They are just 3-7 against the run line on the road this season.
With a combined run average of 9.6, the Astros have an over/under record of 8-13 this season. Their games have averaged a line of 9 runs, and they have gone 2-1 in games with a line of 10 runs. Overall, the majority of their games have had lower lines, with only 8.7% of their games having lines over 10 runs. They have hit the under in their last two games, with the under hitting in 78.3% of their games this season.
J.P. France Gets The Start For The Astros
J.P. France is making his 4th start of the season today for the Astros, and it is his first road start. France has been a bit inconsistent to start the year, as he has a loss and a no-decision. He is coming off a start against the Braves in which he went 5 innings and gave up 2 earned runs.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into the game, the Astros are batting .266 as a team, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. Overall, they are averaging 4.2 runs per game, and they have been even better at home, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. Houston is also the league’s top team in terms of fewest strikeouts per game. Currently, they have three players in the league’s top 5 in home runs.
Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Kyle Tucker are all tied for the team lead with five home runs. Altuve is batting .351 for the season, and Tucker is 7th in the league with 17 RBIs. Over his last nine games, Tucker is 10/30 with three homers and 10 RBIs. Altuve has also gone deep twice in this stretch, batting .325.
Chicago is coming off a game in which they wasted several good performances. In their 6-3 loss to the Marlins, Kyle Hendricks was roughed up on the mound, giving up four earned runs on six hits. The Cubs also wasted a big game from Nico Hoerner, who went 3/5 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Chicago was the -125 favorite at home going into the game but fell behind early, as the Marlins scored three times in the 4th. The Cubs could only scratch across one run in the 2nd and another in the 3rd. They added their final run in the 5th.
Chicago is 13-9 overall this season, and they are 1.5 games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. The Cubs are coming off losing two of four games in their series vs. the Marlins. This year, the Cubs have been good as the favorite, going 6-2, and they are 2-1 as the underdog at home.
So far, the Cubs have been strong at home, going 7-3, and they are 6-6 on the road. This year, the Cubs have an overall series record of 4-2-1, and they have won two straight series on the road.
Chicago has been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 15-7 overall. They have been especially good on the run line as the underdog, going 10-4. Their average run margin in winning games is 3.6, while it is -3.2 in losing games.
Chicago’s games have had an average of 10 runs this season, and the Cubs’ O/U record is 11-11. The average O/U line for their games has been 8 runs, but when the line has been set at 10 runs, the O/U record is 1-0. Chicago’s games have had an average of 10 runs this season, and the Cubs’ O/U record is 11-11. The average O/U line for their games has been 8 runs, but when the line has been set at 10 runs, the O/U record is 1-0.
Jordan Wicks Gets The Start For The Cubs
After starting the season with a pair of losses, Jordan Wicks will be making his first start of the season at home against the Astros. Wicks has yet to pick up a win this season, but he has been able to keep his team in games, as he has not allowed more than 2 earned runs in any of his outings.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Chicago’s offense has been one of the league’s best so far this season, averaging 5.4 runs per game, which is 6th in the league. At home, they are even better, averaging 6.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are 7th in home runs and have the league’s 8th best isolated power figure. The Cubs have three hitters in the lineup who are in the top 10 in RBIs, including Michael Busch, who is 9th in the league with 15 RBIs.
Over his last six games, Nico Hoerner has gone 12/28, and Cody Bellinger has also been hot of late, going 7/20 with two homers in his last five games. Bellinger is also on a seven-game hitting streak. Busch and Bellinger are the Cubs top two power threats, with six and four homers, respectively.
Astros vs Cubs Prediction
With the Astros and Cubs projected to combine for 11 runs, we like the Astros to pick up a win on the road and are recommending taking them on the money line, where they are listed at -115.
Looking at some of the starting pitcher projections, J.P. France is projected to finish with four strikeouts, which is better than Jordan Wicks, who is projected to finish with four. However, France is ranked 18th among starters to pick up a win, compared to Wicks, who is 15th.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:April 23, 2024 Astros, Cubs