In this article, we will formulate a Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Prediction for this MLB game on Monday, September 16th, at Wrigley Field.
Cubs Leaned on Pitching
The Cubs leaned on the pitching in Sunday’s last game, and they gave up only two runs on their way to the victory. Kyle Hendricks has been inconsistent, but he went six innings and gave up only two hits and one run. The Cubs are averaging 4.58 runs, while their pitching is giving up 4.2 runs per game.
The offense is ranked 13th in the league, while the pitching is ranked 10th. They have a run differential of 0.37 which is 13th in the league. Getting the start for the Cubs will be Shota Imanaga, who sits with a 13-3 record and an ERA of 3.03. In his last start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he went seven innings giving up seven hits and three runs.
A’s Fell Short
Oakland has had trouble all season, and they are coming off another loss on Sunday. The A”s offense scored only three runs and that led to the defeat. Brent Rooker did have another strong game, hitting a home run and driving in two RBIs. Oakland is averaging 4.05 runs while their pitching is giving up 4.68 runs per game.
The offense is ranked 26th in the league while the pitching is ranked 23rd. Rooker has hit 37 home runs and driven in 107 RBIs so far this season. Getting the start for the A’s will be Joey Estes, who sits with a 7-7 record and an ERA of 4.36. In his last start against the Houston Astros, he went 6.2 innings giving up seven hits and three runs.
Why the A’s Will Beat the Cubs
- The Athletics have won 10 of their last 11 games as underdogs following a road loss.
- The Cubs have lost four of their last five games as home favorites following a win.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in each of their last nine games as home favorites following a win.
- The road team has covered the run line in 12 of the last 13 games between the Athletics and Cubs.
- The Athletics have led after 3 innings in each of their last three Monday games as underdogs.
Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Prediction
There is some value here with the A’s. IManaga got out to a fast start, and he has been good for most of the season, but he has shown some vulnerability as of late. Oakland is averaging only 4.05 runs per game, but they are going to get the job done here. The Cubs bats are going to struggle against Estes and Oakland is going to come out on top. Back The A’s on the money line to cash here.