The Oakland Athletics (66-86) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (77-74) on Wednesday, September 18th. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on MLBN. The Athletics are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cubs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Athletics. First pitch is set for 1:20 CT.
Athletics vs. Cubs Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Cubs (-166)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs
- The Cubs have scored 5 or more runs in 8 of their last 15 games.
- The Cubs have won 6 of their last 9 home games.
- The Cubs have a higher league rank (8th) compared to the Athletics (13th).
- The Cubs have a positive run differential in their last 15 games, scoring 94 runs while allowing 83.
- The Cubs have won 2 out of 3 head-to-head games against the Athletics in their recent series.
Athletics vs Cubs
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this A’s vs Cubs series. Oakland went into the matchup as +132 underdogs and squeaked out a 4-3 win. Heading into the game, the A’s had lost the first two games of the series.
Chicago wasted a good outing from Jordan Wicks, as he gave up just two earned runs in five innings of work for the Cubs. As for the A’s, Mitch Spence only went five innings but gave up just two earned runs and got the win.
At the plate, the A’s were led by Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler, as they were the only two Oakland hitters to have more than one hit. Langeliers and Tyler Nevin each homered for the A’s.
As the underdog, the Athletics have been a good bet on the run line, going 76-57, but they have struggled as the favorite, posting a 7-12 record. Oakland’s average run margin in wins is +3.2, while in losses, it’s -3.6. Their overall run line record is 83-69.
Heading into today’s game, the Athletics are 66-86 overall and have a 4-6 record in their last 10 games. They are 29-45 as the road underdog and have a 36-39 home record. In the AL West, they are 16.5 games behind the Astros, sitting in 4th place.
Brady Basso Gets The Start For The Athletics
Brady Basso is getting the start for the Oakland Athletics today against the Cubs. This will be his third start of the season, and he has yet to take a loss. In his most recent outing, he picked up the win, going 5 and 1/3 innings and striking out 2 while allowing 5 hits. He did not allow any runs in his first start of the season.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Athletics are just 26th in the league in runs per game, averaging 4 runs per contest. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.1 runs per game. However, their team batting average of .235 is just 16th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts. On the bright side, they are 5th in the league in home runs and have the 8th best isolated power mark in the league.
Brent Rooker has been on a tear of late, going 9/25 with three homers over his last six games. For the season, he is batting .302 with 38 homers and 109 RBIs. Shea Langeliers is 2nd on the team with 28 homers but is batting just .220 for the season and has gone just 3/20 in his last six games.
Chicago’s overall series record is 21-24-3, and they have lost two straight series at home. They are 10 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central with a 77-74 record. The Cubs have a 39-34 home record and a 38-40 record on the road.
When the over/under line has been set at 7.5 runs, the Cubs have a 17-16 O/U record. Their games have had an average total of 8.8 runs, and the over/under record for the season is 71-75. On the run line, Chicago is 46-32 on the road and 28-45 at home, with an overall run line record of 74-77 and an average run differential of 0.4 runs per game.
Justin Steele Gets The Start For The Cubs
Left-hander Justin Steele gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Athletics at home. Steele has made 22 starts this season and has a record of 5-5 with a 3.09 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Steele has a WHIP of 1.09 and opponents are batting .214 this season. In his 22 starts, he has turned in 11 quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he went five innings, giving up two earned runs, and picking up the win. Before that, he had won back-to-back starts. Steele has been much better at home, with an ERA of 3.39 compared to 3.3 on the road.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Chicago comes into today’s game as one of the league’s top home run hitting teams, and they have been especially good on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per game. Overall, they are 12th in the league at 4.6 runs per contest. The Cubs are also among the league leaders in walks and have the 8th best on-base percentage in the league.
Over the past six games, Ian Happ has gone 10/28 with two homers and four RBIs, while Michael Busch has also been swinging a hot bat, going 8/20 with three homers and nine RBIs. Happ and Busch are the top two home run hitters for the Cubs this season, with 25 and 20 homers, respectively.
Athletics vs Cubs Prediction
Our prediction for this game is that the Cubs will come out on top by a score of 5-4. However, with the Cubs being -166 on the money line, we actually like the over for this matchup. The line is currently sitting at 7.5 runs, and we have this game going over with a combined nine runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Justin Steele is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, and he ranks fifth among starters in terms of K’s. As for Brady Basso, we have him finishing with six strikeouts.
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 18, 2024 Athletics, Cubs