The Houston Astros (7-17) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (14-9) on Wednesday, April 24th. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on None. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Astros are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cubs. First pitch is set for 7:40 ET.
Astros vs Cubs
Chicago cruised to a 7-2 win over the Astros in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a huge 1st inning, scoring five of their seven runs. As for the Astros, they scored their only two runs in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Cubs were the slight favorites at -106.
Jordan Wicks got the win for the Cubs, going six innings and giving up just two earned runs. He finished the game with four strikeouts but didn’t issue a walk. J.P. France had a rough outing for the Astros, taking the loss after going five innings and giving up five earned runs.
Mike Tauchman hit the game’s only two home runs while going 2/3 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Cody Bellinger also had a good game at the plate, going 1/3 with two RBIs.
Houston is 7-17 overall and has lost three straight games. The Astros are in 5th place in the AL West, and they are 5.5 games behind the Mariners for the division lead. So far, they have gone 4-3 against other teams in the AL West. Houston has lost two straight series and has an overall series record of 2-4-1.
As the favorite, the Astros are 5-14 this season and 2-3 as the underdog. At home, they are 4-9 compared to 3-8 on the road. Their most recent game was on April 23rd vs. the Cubs, and they lost that game.
The Astros have been a poor run line bet this season, going 8-16 overall. They are just 3-8 against the run line on the road, and they have failed to cover the run line in their last three road games. They have been a better bet as an underdog, going 3-2 against the run line in those games. Their average run differential in losing games is -4.1 runs per game.
The Astros have gone under the total in three straight games and have an over/under record of 8-14 on the season. The average combined run total in their games is 9.5, and the average over/under line for their games is 9 runs. They have had 23 games with over/under lines set above 8 runs, and their games have gone under the total in 95.8% of their games this season when the line has been set at 8 runs. Today’s over/under line is set at 8 runs.
Spencer Arrighetti Gets The Start For The Astros
Spencer Arrighetti is getting the start for the Astros today on the road against the Cubs. He has had a rough start to the season, taking losses in each of his first two outings. In his last start, he gave up 7 runs to the Royals, and he allowed 4 runs in his first start of the year.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Jose Altuve has been a consistent performer for the Astros this season, batting .357 with a team-leading five home runs. Kyle Tucker is also batting well for the Astros, hitting .286 with a team-leading 17 RBIs. Tucker and Yordan Alvarez are also tied with Altuve for the team lead in homers. Tucker has gone 8/24 in his last seven games, including one home run and four RBIs.
Overall, the Astros are batting .263 as a team, which is the 2nd best mark in the league. As a team, they are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. Houston is hoping that their strong batting average can translate into more runs moving forward. Currently, they are 7th in home runs and have the fewest strikeouts in the league.
Chicago is 14-9 overall this season and is in 2nd place in the NL Central, just a half-game behind the Brewers. The Cubs are at home today, where they are 8-3 this season. So far, they have yet to play a game against other teams in the NL Central.
The Cubs have won two straight games, and this came after dropping two of three to the Marlins. This year, the Cubs are 6-2 when favored, and they are 8-7 as the underdog. Chicago’s overall series record is 4-2-1, and they have won two straight series on the road.
Chicago has been a solid run line bet this season, going 16-7 overall. They have been especially good at home, going 7-4 against the run line. They have been a good bet as the underdog, going 11-4 against the run line. Their average run margin in winning games is 3.7, while their average run margin in losing games is -3.2.
Today’s over/under line for the Cubs’ game against the Astros is set at 8 runs, which is right in line with their season average of 8 runs per game. However, the Cubs have gone under the total in each of their five games this season with an over/under line of 8 runs. Their games have averaged 9 runs per game this season, but the over/under line has been set higher than that in 56.5% of their games.
Jameson Taillon Gets The Start For The Cubs
Jameson Taillon is getting the start for the Cubs today, and he is coming off a win in his first start of the season. He went 5 innings, giving up just 1 earned run and struck out 4 vs. the Marlins.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Over his last seven games, Cody Bellinger has gone 9/26 with three home runs and seven RBIs. For the season, he is batting just .226, but his 17 RBIs are the best on the team and 7th in the league. Bellinger is also on an eight-game hitting streak. Nico Hoerner has been hot of late, going 14/37 in his last eight games, but he is still looking for his first home run of the season.
As a team, the Cubs are 5th in the league in scoring at 5.5 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 6.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .245 as a team and have the 6th ranked on-base percentage in the league. Chicago comes into the game as one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams.
Astros vs Cubs Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Astros vs. Cubs game is to take the Cubs on the money line at -112. We have the Cubs winning this one by a score of 6-5, giving you a chance to take the over, but we are sticking with the Cubs to get the win.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Jameson Taillon finishing with four strikeouts, which is fourth worst among today’s starters. As for Spencer Arrighetti, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is 19th among starters.
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:April 24, 2024 Astros, Cubs