Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Preview
Chicago comes into this one with the Athletics on a two-game losing streak and they are the heavy favorite on the money line at -197. The Cubs are 76-73 overall and they are 2nd in the NL Central. Today’s money line odds for the Athletics are sitting at +165. This interleague matchup is set for 7:40 PM ET from Wrigley Field in Chicago, and the forecasted temperature is 84 degrees with scattered clouds.
Monday’s over/under line is sitting at 8 runs, and NSPCA will be televising this one. Joey Estes is starting for the Athletics, and the Cubs are going with Shota Imanaga.
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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.
- On the opposing side, the Cubs have a 2-3 (SU) record, along with a 2-3 record in their last five home contests.
- In their last ten games as the favorite, the Cubs have a record of 7-3 straight-up, and have gone 6-4 against the runline.
- The Athletics have a 5-5 straight-up record and a 6-4 record vs. the runline over their previous ten games as the underdog.
Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Prediction
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.
Oakland is on the road today to take on the Cubs, and they come in with a record of 65-85, which is good for 4th place in the AL West. Currently, they trail the Astros by 16.5 games in the division. The Athletics are 21-25 against other teams in the AL West this season.
The Athletics lost the final two games of their series vs. the White Sox, and they are just 4-6 in their last 10 games. So far, they have gone 36-39 at home compared to 29-46 on the road. As the road underdog, the Athletics are 28-44 this year, and they are 53-78 as the underdog overall. When favored, the Athletics have gone 12-7 this year.
The Athletics have been a strong play on the run line this season, going 82-68 overall. They are 41-34 on the run line at home and on the road. They have been a good bet as an underdog, going 75-56 on the run line. They have been favored 19 times and are just 7-12 on the run line in those games. Their average run margin is -0.6 runs per game, and they have a scoring margin of -0.5 at home and -0.8 on the road. Their run line losing streak on the road is at two games.
When the Oakland Athletics are on the road this season, the over/under line has been set at 8 runs on average. Their games have averaged 8.7 runs per game, and their over/under record for the season is 70-78. When the line has been set at 8 runs, their over/under record is 18-17-1. So far this season, 49.3% of their games have had over/under lines set at over 8 runs, while 26.7% have had lines set under 8 runs.
Right-hander Joey Estes gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces the Cubs on the road. Estes has made 21 starts this year and has a record of 7-7 with an ERA of 4.36. In his 22 total appearances, he has a WHIP of 1.13 and has issued just 1.84 walks per nine innings. Estes’ most recent outing came against the Astros, where he picked up the win, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up two earned runs. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight outings.
As a team, the Athletics are 26th in the league in scoring, averaging 4 runs per game. This is despite being 6th in the league in home runs and having a team batting average of just .234. However, they do have a few hitters who are swinging the bat well right now, including Brent Rooker, who is hitting .301 for the season and has gone 9/30 in his last seven games with two homers.
Rooker’s 37 home runs are 5th in the league and the most on the team, and he also leads the A’s with 107 RBIs. Shea Langeliers is 2nd on the team with 26 homers but is batting just .219 for the season.
The Cubs’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Rockies, closing out their series with a 6-2 win. After allowing one run to the Rockies in the 3rd inning, the Cubs responded with two runs of their own. Chicago went on to add another two runs in the 3rd to take the lead. Looking at the betting lines going into the game, the Cubs were the slight favorite at -136.
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 offense was carried by Michael Busch, who went 3/5 with two homers and three RBIs.
Chicago is 76-73 overall, putting them 2nd in the NL Central, ten games behind the Brewers. The Cubs are 21-28 against other NL Central teams. They kick off their series vs. the Athletics, having gone 5-5 across their last ten games.
At home, the Cubs are 38-33 this year compared to 38-40 on the road. As the favorite, Chicago has gone 39-35 and 37-38 as the underdog. So far, they have dropped two straight series at home, and their overall series record is 21-24-3.
When betting the run line on the Cubs, it’s been more profitable to take them on the road, where they have a 46-32 run line record compared to 27-44 at home. They’ve been a better bet as the underdog, going 49-26 against the run line compared to 24-50 as the favorite. Their average run differential in winning games is +3.8 runs, while their average run differential in losing games is -3.1 runs.
The Chicago Cubs have an over/under record of 70-74 this season, with an average over/under line of 8 runs per game. When the line has been set at 8 runs, the Cubs have gone 11-17-1. Their games have averaged a combined 8.8 runs per game this season. Today’s over/under line is set at 8 runs, and 50.3% of their games this season have had higher lines than that.
Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win. Against the Dodgers on September 10th, Imanaga went seven innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits. Looking back further, he has won his last four starts and has pitched at least six innings in each of those outings. Imanaga’s record for the season is 13-3, and he has an ERA of 3.03. Out of his 27 starts, Imanaga has turned in 17 quality starts and is averaging 8.93 strikeouts per nine innings.
So far this season, the Cubs are 13th in the MLB in runs scored, averaging 4.6 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .241, which is 15th in the league, and their home run total of 159 is 17th in the league.
Over the last five games, Michael Busch has been on fire for the Cubs, going 7/18 with three homers and eight RBIs. Busch is currently tied for 2nd on the team with 20 homers. Ian Happ leads the team with 82 RBIs and is also 1st on the team with 23 homers. Seiya Suzuki is 2nd on the team in homers (20) and is batting .275 for the season.
Our prediction for the Cubs vs. Athletics matchup is to take the Cubs to win at home. However, with the money line payout being -197, we recommend taking the over, as we have the final score at 6-5 in favor of the Cubs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Shota Imanaga of the Cubs is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the second-best among starters today. As for Joey Estes of the Athletics, he is projected to finish with four K’s, which is the fourth lowest among starters.
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 11 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 | Out | 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 |
