Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Preview
The Cubs head into this interleague matchup looking to extend their winning streak to three games, while the Athletics are looking to end a three-game losing streak. This one is taking place at Wrigley Field in Chicago, and the Cubs are the heavy favorites on the money line (-165). The over/under line is currently at 8 runs.
First pitch for this one is set for 7:40 PM ET, and NSPCA will be televising it. Mitch Spence is starting for the Athletics, and the Cubs are starting Jordan Wicks. Chicago comes in with a record of 77-73, while the Athletics are 4th in the AL West with a record of 65-86.
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Chicago Cubs vs. Oakland Athletics Trends and Key Stats
- 1-4 is the record of Athletics in their last five road games. They have also gone 1-4 vs. the runline.
- Conversely, the Cubs have achieved a 2-3 (SU) record and 2-3 record in their last five home games.
- Over their last ten games when playing as the favorite, the Cubs have won 7-3 straight-up, and have a 6-4 record vs. the runline.
- When playing as the underdog, the Athletics have won 4-6 of their previous ten games straight-up, while going 5-5 against the runline.
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 got the win for the Cubs, going six innings and giving up just two earned runs. Joey Estes had a rough outing for the A’s, taking the loss after going just one inning and giving up six runs.
At the plate, the Cubs were led by Dansby Swanson and Miguel Amaya, who each had three hits and four RBIs. Chicago’s leadoff hitter, Seiya Suzuki, scored three times and drove in a run while going 3/5.
Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Prediction
The Athletics are 65-86 overall, putting them 4th in the AL West, 16.5 games behind the Astros for the division lead. They have gone 21-25 against other teams in the AL West. Oakland has dropped three straight games, and they lost the first game of this series vs. the Cubs.
At home, the Athletics are 36-39 this season, and they are 29-47 on the road. As the underdog, the Athletics are 53-79 this year, and they are 12-7 when favored. Oakland’s overall series record is 18-25-5, and they are 4-6 in their last 10 games overall.
When it comes to run-line betting, the A’s have been a solid play this season with an 82-69 record. However, they have been a bit more profitable on the road, where they are 41-35. They have failed to cover the run line in three straight road games and have gone 2-7 in their last nine games as the favorite.
The Oakland Athletics are on the road today against the Chicago Cubs. The over/under line for today’s game is set at 8 runs. The combined run average for Oakland’s games this season is 8.7 runs per game. The A’s over/under record for the season is 71-78, and their average over/under line is 8 runs. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, Oakland’s record is 19-17-1. Overall, 74 of their games have had over/under lines set at over 8 runs, accounting for 49.0% of their games. Forty of their games have had over/under lines set at under 8 runs, which is 26.5% of their games.
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. Spence’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.35. Looking back at his last outing, Spence finished with a no-decision after going seven innings and giving up two earned runs on seven hits. He has finished with a no-decision in each of his last four outings. Spence has allowed two earned runs in each of his last three outings. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.41 strikeouts and 2.69 walks.
For the season, the Athletics are 26th in the league in runs scored, averaging 4 runs per game. However, they do come into the game with the 5th most home runs in the league. As a team, the Athletics are batting just .235, which is 18th in the league. Brent Rooker has been a bright spot for the Athletics offense, as he is batting .302 for the season and has gone 15/44 with three homers over his last 10 games.
Not only is Rooker the team’s leader in batting average, but he also has 38 homers, which is the best mark on the team and 5th in the league. His 109 RBIs are the 2nd most in the league. Catcher Shea Langeliers is 2nd on the team in RBIs (71) but is batting just .217 for the season.
Chicago is 77-73 overall and trails the Brewers by ten games in the NL Central. The Cubs have gone 21-28 against other teams in the division. Chicago has won two straight games, and they are 1-0 in their series vs. the Athletics. The Cubs took the series opener 6-5.
At home, the Cubs are 39-33 this season compared to a 38-40 mark on the road. As the favorite, the Cubs are 40-35 this season and 37-38 as the underdog. Chicago’s overall series record is 21-24-3, and they have dropped two straight series at home.
The Cubs have been a strong run line bet on the road this season, going 46-32 against the spread. They have a run line record of 74-76 overall, with an average run margin of +0.4 runs per game. They have been a better run line bet at home, going just 28-44 against the spread, while their average run margin is +0.6 runs per game at Wrigley Field.
The Chicago Cubs are playing at home against the Oakland Athletics today. The over/under line is set at 8 runs, which is right around the season average for Cubs games. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game, and their O/U record is 71-74. When the line is set at 8 runs, their O/U record is 12-17-1. Half of their games this season have had higher over/under lines than 8 runs.
Chicago is sending left-hander Jordan Wicks to the mound today vs. the Athletics. He has made nine starts this year and has a record of 2-3 with a 5.27 ERA. Wicks’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.61. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up seven earned runs in three innings of work vs. the Dodgers. Before that, he had picked up the win, allowing just one earned run in five innings vs. the Nationals. Wicks has made one quality start this year. Per nine innings, he is averaging 8.34 strikeouts and 3.95 walks.
Over the past seven games, Michael Busch and Isaac Paredes have been the Cubs’ top hitters, with Busch batting .407 and Paredes hitting .500. Busch has four homers in this stretch, while Paredes has driven in five runs. Busch and Seiya Suzuki are tied for 2nd on the team with 20 homers.
Currently, the Cubs have four players with at least 20 homers, with Ian Happ leading the way at 23. He also has the most RBIs on the team at 83. Happ is currently on a five-game hitting streak. Overall, the Cubs are 12th in runs scored and have been a better offensive team on the road this season.
Our prediction for this Cubs vs. Athletics matchup is to take the Cubs to win at home, and we have them taking this one 6-5. However, with the Cubs being -165 on the money line, we would actually recommend taking the over, as we have the over/under at 8 runs.
Looking at the starting pitcher’s projections, Jordan Wicks is predicted to finish with six strikeouts, which is good for seventh among today’s starters. As for Mitch Spence, he is projected to finish with five K’s, which has him 19th.
Offensively, we have the Cubs finishing with nine hits compared to the Athletics with eight. However, the Athletics are predicted to have more home runs, with them being the eighth best team in terms of home runs today.
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 |
