Athletics vs. Cubs Odds & Betting Predictions - September 18, 2024

Tailing @rsura_

Sura

Bet to 7.5 (-105)

Follow On X: https://x.com/PicksOffice First off, Oakland's Mitch Spence has been the bright spot in the rotation as of late. Over his last 10 starts, Spence has given up two or fewer earned runs seven times and is fresh off a 7-inning, 2-run outing where he did not issue a walk. But his high ground-ball induction rate greatly cuts down the home run risk, further limiting overall scoring. An Cubs lineup that feasts at home finds itself facing a crafty pitcher in Spence, so Oakland's opposition should have a low-scoring effort. On the other hand, Jordan Wicks has been steady for the Cubs. In his last start, he allowed just 1 earned run over 5 innings, and earlier in the season, he had a strong showing against Houston, giving up just 2 earned runs in 6 innings. Oakland's lineup, is horrible in runs per game (26th) and with a miserable .235 batting average (25th in the league), will not find much success against Wicks as well as his .218 average against left-handed pitching. Wicks could work his way through Oakland's lineup pretty well and really limit their scoring chances. Both bullpens are also very solid. The Oakland bullpen has a 3.47 ERA, and key arms such as Miller and Alexander sport sub-2.50 ERAs while offering up reliability in later innings. Even better has been Chicago's bullpen with a 2.91 ERA, along with several lights-out appearances at home, where they sport a 3.03 bullpen ERA. With backends of the bullpen as strong as T. Miller and P. Hodge, who each post an ERA below 2.20, expect them to shut down the game late and further keep the scoring in check. Offensively, the Athletics have really struggled, scoring two or fewer runs in 6 of their last 10 games. On the road, they only average 3.62 runs per game, and given Chicago's strong home pitching-3.50 runs allowed with a 3.14 team ERA-it is hard to envision Oakland breaking through. This Chicago defensive prowess was in full display in their recent matchup on 9/16/24, holding Oakland to only 2 runs; this further showcased them against weak offenses.