The Oakland Athletics (65-85) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (76-73) on Monday, September 16th. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on NSPCA. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Athletics are looking to get back on track from a loss to the White Sox. First pitch is set for 6:40 CT.
Athletics vs. Cubs Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Cubs (-197)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Cubs have scored an average of 7.2 runs per game over their last 15 games.
- The Cubs have a 6-3 record in their last 9 home games.
- The Cubs have won 4 out of their last 5 games against teams with a losing record.
- The Cubs have scored 10 or more runs in 4 of their last 15 games.
- The Cubs have a 5-1 record in their last 6 games following a loss.
Athletics vs Cubs
The Cubs Took The Last Game Of This Series
The Athletics wrapped up their series vs. the White Sox with a 4-3 loss on the road. Oakland was the heavy favorite at -173 going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Athletics, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the White Sox scored three times in the bottom of the first.
Oakland started JP Sears, and he took the loss, going six innings and giving up four earned runs on seven hits. The Athletics also wasted a big game from Brent Rooker, who homered in the 1st inning, going 1/4.
Heading into today’s game, the Athletics are 65-85 overall and 29-46 on the road. They have lost two straight games and are 10.5 games behind the Rangers for 3rd place in the AL West. Oakland’s run line record this season is 41-34 on the road and 82-68 overall.
This season, the over/under line for A’s games has been set at 8 runs in 49.3% of their games, resulting in an 18-17-1 record. The average runs per game in their matchups is 8.7, and their overall O/U record is 70-78.
Joey Estes Gets The Start For The Athletics
Joey Estes is looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win against the Astros. In that start, he went 6 2/3 innings, giving up just two earned runs. Looking at his overall numbers, Estes has a record of 7-7 and an ERA of 4.36. Out of his 21 starts, he has one complete game shutout and eight quality starts. Per nine innings, Estes is averaging 6.73 strikeouts and just 1.84 walks. On the road, his ERA is 9.09 compared to 3.13 at home.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Athletics are averaging 4 runs per game, which is 26th in the league. However, they have been swinging the bats better of late, as Brent Rooker has gone 9/30 in his last seven games, including two homers, and eight RBIs. For the season, Rooker is batting .301 with a team-high 37 home runs and 107 RBIs.
Overall, the Athletics are 6th in home runs and have a team batting average of .234. As a team, they are batting just .234 and are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts. Currently, Miguel Andujar and Brent Rooker are both on nice hitting streaks, with Andujar at five games and Rooker at six.
The Cubs Are Coming Off A Win
Heading into their last game vs. the Rockies, the Cubs closed out the series with a 6-2 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -136 on the money line. It was a big third inning for the Cubs, as they scored two runs, and added another two runs in the 7th to close things out. Chicago’s offense was carried by Michael Busch, who went 3/5 with two homers and three RBIs.
Kyle Hendricks put together a good start for the Cubs, going six innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Chicago’s bullpen closed things out with three scoreless innings, and Tyson Miller picked up the save.
Chicago has struggled as favorites this season, going 39-35 straight up and 24-23 at home. Their overall series record is 21-24-3, and they have lost two straight series at home. The Cubs are 76-73 overall, sitting 10 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central.
On the run line, the Cubs have been more successful on the road with a 46-32 record, compared to 27-44 at home. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs, resulting in a 70-74 over/under record. When the O/U line is 8 runs, Chicago’s record is 11-17-1.
Shota Imanaga Gets The Start For The Cubs
Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and comes in with a record of 13-3 and an ERA of 3.03. So far this year, he has made 27 starts, and opponents are batting .222 off the left-hander. Imanaga has turned in 17 quality starts this year and is averaging 8.93 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he went seven innings, giving up three earned runs and picking up the win. Before that, he had gone seven innings without giving up an earned run in two straight outings.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Chicago comes into the game averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 5.1 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting .241, which is 15th in the league, and are also 15th in home runs. Chicago’s offense has been led by Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, who have 23 and 20 homers, respectively.
Over his last five games, Michael Busch has gone 7/18 with three homers and eight RBIs. This has helped him move into a tie for 2nd on the team in homers. Busch’s recent hot streak has also helped him move into 5th on the team in RBIs. Heading into the game, Ian Happ is on a four-game hitting streak, while Seiya Suzuki is on a six-game streak.
Athletics vs Cubs Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Athletics vs. Cubs matchup is to take the Cubs to pick up the win at home. However, with the Cubs being such heavy favorites on the money line, we recommend taking the over, as we have the final score at 6-5 in favor of the Cubs.
Looking at today’s starters, Shota Imanaga of the Cubs has a much better chance of picking up a win than the Athletics’ Joey Estes. Imanaga is also projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the second-best among all starters today.
For a couple of team projections, we have the Athletics finishing with eight strikeouts, which is the second-most in the league today. As for the Cubs, they are projected to finish with eight, which is the fifth fewest.
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:September 16, 2024 Athletics, Cubs