The Oakland Athletics (65-86) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (77-73) on Tuesday, September 17th. 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 Cubs. First pitch is set for 6:40 CT.
Athletics vs. Cubs Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Cubs (-165)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Cubs have scored 9 or more runs in 4 of their last 15 games, demonstrating strong offensive potential.
- The Cubs have won 5 of their last 7 home games, indicating a strong home-field advantage.
- The Cubs have a recent winning streak of 2 games, showing positive momentum.
- The Cubs have outscored their opponents by a total of 22 runs in their last 15 games, highlighting their offensive efficiency.
- The Cubs have a better overall record (77-73) compared to the Athletics (65-86), suggesting a stronger team performance throughout the season.
Athletics vs Cubs
Chicago cruised to a 9-2 win over the Athletics in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a huge 2nd inning, scoring five of their nine runs. As for the A’s, they scored their only two runs in the 3rd. Heading into the game, the Cubs were favored at -200 on the money line.
Shota Imanaga started for the Cubs and picked up the win, going six innings and giving up two earned runs. Joey Estes got the start for the A’s and took the loss, going just one inning and giving up six earned runs.
At the plate, the Cubs were led by Dansby Swanson and Miguel Amaya, as they were the only two Cubs hitters to have more than one hit. Swanson, Isaac Paredes, and Seiya Suzuki each had two RBIs for Chicago’s offense.
Overall, the Athletics are 65-86 and are currently in 4th place in the AL West, 6.5 games behind the Rangers. They have lost three straight games, including the series opener vs. the Cubs. Oakland’s run line record as underdogs is 75-57, but they have failed to cover the run line in their last three road games. The average run total in Athletics games this season is 8.7 runs per game.
When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, the Athletics have a 19-17-1 O/U record. This season, 49.0% of their games have had O/U lines of 8 runs, while 26.5% have had lines below 8 runs.
Mitch Spence Gets The Start For The Athletics
Mitch Spence gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces the Cubs on the road. He has made 21 starts this season and has a record of 7-9 with an ERA of 4.33. So far, Spence has turned in four quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he went seven innings and gave up two earned runs. In that start, he didn’t give up a homer. Spence has not taken the loss in any of his last four outings, finishing with a no-decision in each of them. His ERA on the road is 6.63 compared to 3.78 at home.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Athletics are averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 26th in the league. However, they do have the 5th most home runs in the league and are batting a combined .235. Brent Rooker has been a bright spot for the team, as he is batting .302 for the season and has gone 15/44 with three homers over his last 10 games. Rooker’s 109 RBIs is 2nd in the league.
As a team, the Athletics are 13th in slugging percentage and have the 9th best isolated power mark in the league. They will be looking to improve their team on-base percentage of just .303. The Athletics will be looking for Rooker and Shea Langeliers to keep their good seasons going, as Langeliers is 2nd on the team with 26 homers but is batting just .217.
Chicago’s overall series record is 21-24-3, and they have lost their last two series at home. Against the run line, the Cubs are 46-32 on the road, where they’ve been outscoring opponents by 0.3 runs per game. As underdogs, they have a 49-26 run line record this season.
With a 77-73 record, the Cubs are 10 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They have won two straight games and are 39-33 at home. This season, Cubs games have averaged 8.8 runs, and their O/U record is 71-74. The O/U record for games with an 8-run line is 12-17-1.
Jordan Wicks Gets The Start For The Cubs
Left-hander Jordan Wicks gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Athletics at home. He has made nine starts this year and has a record of 2-3 with an ERA of 5.27. Wicks’ WHIP for the season is 1.61, and opponents are batting .274 off him this year. In his most recent outing, Wicks finished with a no-decision, giving up seven earned runs in three innings of work. Before that, he had a quality start and picked up the win, going five innings and giving up just one earned run. Wicks has allowed at least one homer in each of his last three outings.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Over the past seven games, Michael Busch has been on fire for the Cubs, going 11/27 with four homers and 11 RBIs. This has pushed his season batting average to .255, and he is 2nd on the team with 20 home runs. Ian Happ leads the team in homers, with 23, and his 83 RBIs are the best mark on the team. Happ is also on a five-game hitting streak.
As a team, the Cubs are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per contest. Overall, they are the 16th ranked home run hitting team in the league and have the 12th best team batting average in the MLB.
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 -165 on the money line, we recommend taking the over, as we have the final score at 6-5 in favor of the Cubs.
If you’re looking for some potential player props, we like Jordan Wicks to finish with six strikeouts compared to Mitch Spence, who we have finishing with five.
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 17, 2024 Athletics, Cubs