Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Angels Preview
There does appear to be a chance of rain in Chicago on Friday, where the Cubs and Angels face off at Wrigley Field. First pitch is currently scheduled for 2:20 PM ET. Justin Steele is starting for the Cubs, and the Angels are going with Griffin Canning.
Chicago is the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -197 compared to the Angels at +167. The over/under line is at 10.5 runs, and the game will be televised on BSW. The Angels are looking to snap a four-game losing streak and are 4th in the AL West, while the Cubs are 5th in the NL Central.
Check out BetCoco for Chicago Cubs – Los Angeles Angels odds
Chicago Cubs Trends and Key Stats
- The Angels are 1-4 in their five most recent road games, including a 1-4 runline record.
- On the other side, the Cubs have gone 2-3 (SU) and 2-3 in their previous five home contests.
- Over their last ten games as the favorite, the Cubs have a straight-up record of 3-7, while going 3-7 against the runline.
- When playing as the underdog, the Angels have won 5-5 of their previous ten games straight-up, while going 6-4 against the runline.
Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Angels Prediction
The Angels will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Athletics with a 5-0 loss. Los Angeles was actually the slight favorite on the money line going into the game but fell behind big early, as the Athletics scored three times in the third.
Offensively, the Angels only had four fewer hits than the Athletics but didn’t score a run. Their best chance to score came in the 4th inning, but they left the bases loaded. Roansy Contreras got the start for the Angels and took the loss. He only lasted 2 /3 innings, giving up two earned runs.
Los Angeles is 36-50 overall and trail the Mariners by 10.5 games in the AL West. The Angels are on a four-game losing streak, dropping them to 4th in the division. So far, they are 8-10 in divisional matchups.
At home, the Angels are 18-26 and 18-24 on the road. This season, they are just 8-20 in day games. As the underdog, the Angels are 32-43, and they are 4-7 when favored. Heading into today’s game, the Angels’ series record is 8-18-2, and they were swept by the Athletics in their most recent series. Luckily, they have gone 6-4 over their last 10 games.
Through their first 86 games of the season, the Angels have been a solid bet on the run line, going 48-38. They have been especially profitable as the underdog, going 45-30 against the run line. However, they have struggled to cover the run line as the favorite, going just 3-8. Their average run differential on the season is -0.9, and they have gone 24-18 against the run line on the road.
The Angels are on the road today against the Cubs, and the over/under line is set at 10.5 runs. The combined run average for Angels games this season is 9.0 runs per game, and their over/under record is 44-40. The average over/under line for Angels games is 8 runs, and their over/under record when the line is set at 10.5 runs is 0-1. The Angels have played 85 games this season with over/under lines set lower than 10.5 runs, which accounts for 98.8% of their games. They are currently on a two-game under streak.
Right-hander Griffin Canning is getting the start for the Angels today as he faces the Cubs on the road. He has made 17 starts this season and has a record of 3-8 with an ERA of 4.71. Canning’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.33. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least four earned runs in three straight starts. Canning’s last outing came on June 29th. He has made five quality starts this season.
Los Angeles comes into today’s game averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 22nd in the league. This is also the 22nd ranked scoring offense in the league. The Angels have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.1 runs per game, compared to 4.0 runs per game on the road. As a team, they are batting .237, which is 16th in the league.
Luis Rengifo has been the team’s top hitter this season, batting .315 with a team-leading six home runs. He has also driven in 25 runs. Rengifo has also been hot of late, going 9/24 in his last six games. Taylor Ward has a team-high 43 RBIs and is 12th in the league with 14 homers.
The Cubs’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Phillies, closing out their series with a 10-2 win. After allowing one run to the Phillies in the top of the first, the Cubs responded with five runs of their own. Chicago went on to add another five runs in the 4th inning.
Starting for the Cubs was Jameson Taillon, who picked up the win while tossing seven innings of two-run ball. He also finished with seven K’s and issued just one walk. Ian Happ went 4/4 with two homers and six RBIs.
Chicago will open their series vs. the Angels at home, and they are 5th in the NL Central, 12 games behind the Brewers. The Cubs are 40-48 overall, and they are just 10-19 against other teams in the NL Central.
At home, the Cubs have gone 23-20 compared to 17-28 on the road. So far, they have dropped four straight series and are 9-17-2 in series play this year. As the favorite, the Cubs are 20-21 and 20-27 as the underdog.
When it comes to the run line, the Cubs have been a better bet on the road than at home, where they are just 16-27. As the favorite, they are just 11-30 against the run line, while as the underdog, they are 30-17. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.0, while in losing games, it is -3.1.
The Chicago Cubs are playing at home against the Los Angeles Angels today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 10.5 runs. The Cubs’ games have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 39-45. When the over/under line is set at 10.5 runs, the Cubs’ record is 2-2. This is just the fourth time this season the Cubs have had an over/under line set at 10.5 runs.
Left-hander Justin Steele gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Angels at home. He has made 12 starts this season and has a record of 0-3 with an ERA of 3.20. Steele has not picked up a win since June 2 and has finished with a no-decision in each of his last four outings. In his most recent start, he gave up three earned runs in six innings of work. Opponents are batting .217 off Steele this season. He has made six quality starts and is averaging 8.96 strikeouts per nine innings.
Chicago’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, as they are averaging just 4.1 runs per game (19th) and are batting a collective .229. One area they have been strong is in drawing walks, as they are currently 4th in the league in that category. The Cubs are also 16th in home runs and have the 20th OPS in the league.
Over his last 10 games, Cody Bellinger has gone 12/40 (.300) with seven runs scored and four RBIs. For the season, he is batting .274 with nine homers. Ian Happ has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 9/31 with four homers in his last 10 games. Happ’s 50 RBIs are the best mark on the team, and he is also 2nd in home runs (13).
Our predicted score for this one is 5-4 in favor of the Angels, so we would recommend taking them on the money line, where they are offering a payout of +167.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Griffin Canning finishing with six strikeouts compared to Justin Steele with six as well. However, we do have Steele finishing with fewer hits allowed and earning runs allowed.
Offensively, we have the Angels finishing with 10 hits compared to the Cubs with eight. The Cubs are also projected to finish with fewer home runs than the Angels.
If you’re looking for a parlay, you could look to pair the Angels with the over, as the line is sitting at 10.5 runs.
Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Angels Betting Tips
- We like the Angels on the moneyline (+167)
- The Angels are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
- Our MLB model projects 9 runs, and we suggest taking the under
Chicago Cubs Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Yency Almonte | Out | Shoulder |
| Mike Tauchman | Out | Groin |
| Mark Leiter Jr. | Out | Forearm |
| Keegan Thompson | Out | Ribs |
| Adbert Alzolay | Out | Forearm |
| Julian Merryweather | Out | Ribs |
| Javier Assad | Out | Forearm |
| Ben Brown | Out | Neck |
| Caleb Kilian | Out | Teres Major |
| Jordan Wicks | Out | Oblique |
Los Angeles Angels Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| José Cisnero | Out | Shoulder |
| Mike Trout | Out | Knee |
| Anthony Rendon | Out | Hamstring |
| Robert Stephenson | Out | Elbow |
| Adam Cimber | Out | Shoulder |
| Luis Rengifo | Questionable | Wrist |
| Patrick Sandoval | Out | Arm |
| José Quijada | Out | Elbow |
| Andrew Wantz | Out | Elbow |
| Kelvin Caceres | Out | Lat |
