The Houston Astros (7-18) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (15-9) on Thursday, April 25th. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on None. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Astros are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cubs. First pitch is set for 2:20 ET.
Astros vs Cubs
Chicago picked up a 4-3 win over the Astros in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a huge 1st inning, scoring four of their four runs. As for the Astros, they scored their first run in the 3rd and added two more in the 9th.
Jameson Taillon got the win for the Cubs, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with four strikeouts but issued two walks. As for the Astros, Spencer Arrighetti got the start and took the loss, giving up four earned runs in just 3 2/3 innings of work.
Dansby Swanson hit the game’s only home run while going 1/4 with three RBIs. Nico Hoerner also had a two-hit game for Chicago. Jose Altuve went 1/5 with a homer for Houston.
Houston is on the road today vs. the Cubs, having dropped four straight games. The Astros are 7-18 overall and are in 5th place in the AL West. Currently, they are six games behind the Rangers for the division lead. So far, they have gone 4-3 in divisional matchups.
The Astros have lost two straight games vs. the Cubs and also lost the final two games of their series with the Nationals. This year, the Astros are just 5-15 when favored and 2-3 as the underdog. They have also really struggled on the road, going 3-9 and 4-9 at home.
The Astros have been a poor run-line bet all season, going just 8-17. They’re even worse on the road, going 3-9, and have failed to cover the run line in four straight road games. They’ve been favored in 20 games and have covered the run line in just five of them.
Despite the Astros’ recent under streak, oddsmakers have set the over/under line for their game against the Cubs at 7.5 runs. This season, Houston’s games have averaged 9.4 runs per game, and their over/under record is 8-15. The Astros have had a high percentage of games with over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs, with 96% of their games having higher lines. Their games have gone under the line in four straight contests.
Justin Verlander Gets The Start For The Astros
Justin Verlander and the Astros are on the road to take on the Cubs. In his first start of the season, Verlander picked up the win against the Nationals, going 6 innings and giving up 2 earned runs. He struck out 4 and gave up 1 home run.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Jose Altuve has been red hot for the Astros of late, going 13/40 in his last nine games with three homers and five runs scored. Overall, he is batting .350 with six homers. Kyle Tucker is also swinging a good bat, as he is 9/31 in his last nine games and has a team-high 17 RBIs. Yordan Alvarez is also in the mix for the team lead in homers, but he is batting just .184 in his last nine games.
As a team, the Astros are 3rd in batting average and are the top strikeout team in the league. They are averaging 4 runs per game and have been even worse on the road at 3.2 runs per contest. Houston is also near the top of the league in OBP, SLG, and OPS.
With an overall record of 15-9, the Cubs are 0.5 games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. The Cubs are coming off a series win over the Marlins, taking two of three games. Currently, the Cubs have won two straight games, and they have an overall series record of 4-2-1 this season.
At home, the Cubs have been strong, going 9-3 this season. They have also been good as the underdog, putting together a record of 9-7. Their overall record as the favorite is 6-2. So far, the Cubs have been pretty good at home when they are the underdog, going 4-1.
Chicago has been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 17-7 overall. The Cubs are 8-4 on the run line at home, where they’ve won their last two run line bets. They’ve been an underdog in 16 of their 21 run line games and are 12-4 in those contests. Chicago’s average run margin in wins is +3.5, while it’s -3.2 in losses.
Chicago’s over/under record is 11-13 this season, with the average line set at 8 runs per game. The over/under line for today’s game against the Astros is 7.5 runs, and the Cubs have gone under that line in three of five games with that line this season. The Cubs’ games have averaged 9.8 runs per game this season, and their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs. The under is on a two-game streak for the Cubs, and 75% of their games this season have had over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs.
Javier Assad Gets The Start For The Cubs
Javier Assad is getting the start for the Cubs today at home against the Astros. He has been solid in his first three starts of the season, picking up a win in his last outing against the Mariners. Assad has gone 5 2/3 innings in each of his first two starts and has a total of 16 strikeouts on the year.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Chicago comes into the game as one of the league’s top-scoring offenses, averaging 5.4 runs per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 6.1 runs per contest. The Cubs have been one of the league’s best home run hitting teams so far and have the league’s 5th best isolated power figure. As a team, they are batting .246, which is 10th in the league.
Over his last six games, Cody Bellinger has gone 8/23 with three homers and seven RBIs. For the season, he is batting just .226, but his 17 RBIs are the best mark on the team. Michael Busch is 9th in the league with 16 RBIs and has six homers so far, which is 5th best in the league.
Astros vs Cubs Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Cubs vs. Astros matchup is to take the Cubs on the money line at +105. We have the Cubs winning this one by a final score of 6-5. If you’re looking for a potential parlay, we like the Cubs to win straight up and the over, as the line is sitting at 7.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Justin Verlander finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for seventh among starters. As for Javier Assad, he is projected to finish with four strikeouts, which is fifth worst among starters.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:April 25, 2024 Astros, Cubs