Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Preview
Chicago comes into this interleague matchup vs. the Athletics as the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -166 compared to the Athletics at +141. The over/under line is at 7.5 runs, and this one is being televised on MLBN. First pitch from Wrigley Field is set for 2:20 PM ET.
Justin Steele is starting for the Cubs, and he is facing off against Brady Basso for the Athletics. Oakland is currently 4th in the AL West, while the Cubs are 2nd in the NL Central.
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Chicago Cubs vs. Oakland Athletics Trends and Key Stats
- Across their last five road games, the Athletics are 2-3. This includes going 2-3 vs. the runline.
- In the Cubs’ five most recent home games, their record stands at 2-3 (SU) with 2-3 against the spread.
- In their last ten games as the favorite, the Cubs have a record of 6-4 straight-up, and have gone 5-5 against the runline.
- The Athletics have a 4-6 straight-up record and a 5-5 record vs. the runline over their previous ten games as the underdog.
Oakland rallied for three runs in the 9th inning in the most recent game of this A’s vs. Cubs series. The A’s scored two runs in the 1st inning but didn’t score another run until putting up three in the top of the 9th, picking up a 4-3 win. Heading into the game, the A’s were at +132 on the money line.
Chicago wasted a good outing from Jordan Wicks, as he gave up just two earned runs in five innings of work for the Cubs. Wicks did serve up three homers in the game. As for the A’s, Mitch Spence gave them five innings, giving up two earned runs.
Shea Langeliers hit the go-ahead homer for the A’s in the 9th, while Lawrence Butler also homered earlier in the game. Tyler Nevin had a two-hit game at the plate.
Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Prediction
Oakland is 66-86 overall this season, and they are 16.5 games behind the Astros for the AL West lead. So far, they have gone 21-25 in divisional games. The Athletics are on the road today, and they are 1-1 in this series vs. the Cubs.
The Athletics have gone 30-47 on the road compared to 36-39 at home. As the underdog, Oakland is 54-79 this year and 29-45 as the road underdog. They have been good as the favorite, going 12-7 this year. Oakland’s overall series record is 18-25-5, and they are 4-6 over their last ten games.
The Athletics have a run line record of 83-69 this season, with a run line record of 42-35 on the road. They have an average run margin of -0.7 runs per game this season. As the underdog, they have a run line record of 76-57, while as the favorite, they are just 7-12.
Today’s game between the Oakland Athletics and Chicago Cubs features an over/under line of 7.5 runs. The A’s have played in 112 games with higher over/under lines this season, and their games have averaged 8.7 runs per game. Their over/under record for the season is 71-79, and when the line has been set at 7.5 runs, they have gone over 14 times and under 20 times.
Brady Basso will be making his third start of the season for the Oakland Athletics, and he’s been solid in his first two outings. He picked up a win in his last start vs. the White Sox, going 5 1/3 innings and striking out two. Basso also started the season with a 6-inning outing vs. the Tigers, where he struck out six and gave up just one hit.
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 collective .235. Oakland’s team on-base percentage of .303 is also below the league average. Brent Rooker has been a bright spot for the team, as he is batting .302 and has gone deep 38 times this season.
Over his last six games, Rooker is batting .360 with three homers and eight RBIs. Catcher Shea Langeliers is also near the top of the league in homers but is batting just .220 for the season and has struggled of late, going just 3/20 in his last six games. Both Miguel Andujar and Daz Cameron are on five-game hitting streaks.
With a record of 77-74, the Cubs are 10 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. Chicago is 21-28 against other teams in the division. The Cubs will take on the Athletics at home today, and they are 39-34 at home this season.
Chicago has gone 38-40 on the road this season. So far, the Cubs have been the favorite in 76 of their games, going 40-36 in those matchups. As the home favorite, the Cubs have a record of 25-24 this season. The Cubs’ overall series record is 21-24-3, and they have dropped two straight series at home.
Chicago has been a solid run line bet on the road this season, going 46-32, while they are just 28-45 at Wrigley Field. They have an average run margin of +0.4 runs per game this season, but that number jumps to +0.5 at home and +0.3 on the road. They have been a better run line bet as the underdog, going 49-26, compared to 25-51 when favored.
The Chicago Cubs are at home today against the Oakland Athletics. The over/under line for the game is set at 7.5 runs. The Cubs have played in 106 games this season with over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs, which accounts for 70.2% of their games. Their combined run average for the season is 8.8 runs per game, and their over/under record is 71-75 for the year.
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. In his 22 appearances, he has turned in 11 quality starts and has a WHIP of 1.09. Looking back at his last outing, Steele picked up the win, going five innings and giving up two earned runs on six hits. He finished with six strikeouts in that outing. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Steele has been pitching well lately, as he has given up two earned runs or fewer in four straight outings.
Chicago’s offense has been solid this season, averaging 4.6 runs per game (12th) and batting a collective .243, which is 11th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per contest. The Cubs have done a good job of working counts this season, as they are 6th in the league in walks and have a collective OBP of .318.
Over the past six games, both Ian Happ and Michael Busch have been swinging the bat well, with Happ going 10/28 with two homers and Busch also going deep three times while going 8/20. Happ is currently on a six-game hitting streak, while Seiya Suzuki has hits in eight straight games. Suzuki is 2nd on the team with 20 homers and is batting .278 for the season.
Our predicted final score for this game is 5-4 in favor of the Cubs. However, with the Cubs being -166 on the money line, we recommend taking the over at 7.5 runs. You can get the over at -103, and we have the Cubs winning by a score of 5-4.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Justin Steele is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is fifth best among all starters. As for Brady Basso, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is 13th best.
Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Betting Tips
- Take the Cubs on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Athletics (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over
Chicago Cubs Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Jorge López | Out | Groin |
| Yency Almonte | Out | Shoulder |
| Colten Brewer | Out | Hand |
| Justin Steele | Probable | Elbow |
| Adbert Alzolay | Out | Forearm |
| Julian Merryweather | Out | Knee |
| Brennen Davis | Out | Ankle |
| Nick Madrigal | Out | Finger |
| Ben Brown | Out | Neck |
| Hayden Wesneski | Out | Forearm |
| Luke Little | Out | Shoulder |
Oakland Athletics Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Wood | Out | Shoulder |
| Trevor Gott | Out | Elbow |
| Ross Stripling | Out | Back |
| Miguel Andujar | Out | Abdomen |
| Michael Kelly | Out | Suspension |
| Austin Adams | Out | Elbow/Forearm |
| Esteury Ruiz | Out | Wrist |
| Luis Medina | Out | Elbow |
| Ken Waldichuk | Out | Arm |
| Osvaldo Bido | Out | Wrist |
