Oakland Athletics (65-86) vs. Chicago Cubs (77-73)
September 17, 2024 7:40 pm EDT
The Line: Chicago Cubs -141 / Oakland Athletics +119; Over/Under: +8.5
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The Oakland A’s and the Chicago Cubs meet Tuesday in MLB action from Wrigley Field. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Prediction.
Starting Pitching Matchup
The Oakland A’s will send out Mitch Spence for the start here and Spence is 7-9 with a 4.33 ERA and 113 strikeouts this season. This will be Spence’s first career start against the Cubs. The Chicago Cubs will start Jordan Wicks here and Wicks is 2-3 with a 5.27 ERA and 38 strikeouts this season. This will be Wicks’ first career start against the A’s.
Oakland A’s Recap
The Oakland A’s will be out to rebound after a 9-2 loss to the Cubs in Monday’s opener. The loss put the A’s behind the 8-ball in terms of trying to rebound from a disappointing series loss to the Chicago White Sox this past weekend.
A’s Looking To Finish Season Strong
Brent Rooker leads the A’s with 152 hits and 109 RBIs along with 38 home runs this season while Lawrence Butler has 21 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 23 doubles. JJ Bleday has a team-high 43 doubles, 4 triples, 132 hits and 56 RBIs. Rooker also has 161 K’s at the dish this season, while Zack Gelof has the unfortunate title of leading strikeout bat with 171 strikeouts this season. Shea Langeliers has also chipped in 26 home runs and 71 RBIs.
Why the Oakland Athletics will win
- The Athletics have won 10 of their last 12 games as underdogs following a road loss.
- The Cubs have lost five of their last six games as home favorites following a home win.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in 17 of their last 18 games as home favorites following a home win.
- The Athletics have covered the run line in eight of their last nine night games following a road loss.
Chicago Cubs Recap
The Chicago Cubs come into this one looking to keep the ball rolling after their series-opening victory over the A’s on Monday. The Cubs could use a strong showing here to bounce back from a series loss to the Rockies at Coors this past weekend.
Cubs Trying To Sneak Into Playoffs
Cody Bellinger has 128 hits including 23 doubles, 18 home runs, and 69 RBIs. Nico Hoerner has 143 hits, 32 doubles, and a .264 batting average. Michael Busch has 20 homers with 63 RBIs but has 149 strikeouts as well this season. Ian Happ also has a team-high 34 doubles with 23 home runs and 83 RBIs but also has 160 strikeouts this season. Seiya Suzuki also chipped in 20 homers and 67 RBIs along with 6 triples this season while Pete Crow-Armstrong has 6 triples and 27 stolen bases, only trailing Hoerner’s 29 stolen bags this year.
Why the Chicago Cubs will win
- The Cubs have won nine of their last 10 games against the Athletics.
- The Athletics have lost five of their last six games at Wrigley Field.
- The Cubs have covered the run line in 13 of their last 14 games as favorites against AL West opponents.
- The Athletics have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games against the Cubs following a loss.
Chicago Cubs vs Oakland Athletics Prediction
I’m on the over here. I just don’t trust either starting pitcher here, as Spence hasn’t been great on the road this season and Wicks was just roughed up in his last outing. Both of these offenses have been able to put runs on the board as well of late, so I’m thinking we could end up with a higher-scoring game in this one. Give me the over here.
