Houston Astros vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 4/25/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-110) Chicago (-106)

The Houston Astros (7-17) are en route to Wrigley Field on Thursday where they will take on the Chicago Cubs (14-9). The odds on this game have Houston at -110 while Chicago is coming in at -106. The over/under is set at 8. The pitchers who are expected to start are Justin Verlander and Javier Assad.

The Astros have hit 45 two-baggers as a team and have hit 25 balls out of the park. Houston is slugging .406 and have been called out on strikes 159 times, while drawing a walk on 77 occasions. As a team, the Houston Astros are scoring 4.1 runs/g, which has them at 19th in MLB. They have accumulated 95 runs batted in as well as 220 hits for the season, and their team batting average is at .263. They have notched a total of 98 runs scored while having a team OBP of .328.

Get all of our MLB Picks Today

The Astros are sitting with a team earned run average of 5.16 so far this season (29th in the league), and they have struck out 187 hitters. Astros pitchers have yielded 23 long balls and also 131 runs in total (28th in MLB). They have walked 104 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 4.41 as a squad over the course of the season. Houston has given up 215 hits (9.2 per 9 innings) as well as 121 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 1.80 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.51.

Astros bullpen pitchers have come into the game with runners on 18 times in addition to having 22 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have a total of 10 holds on the year (27th in baseball). The Astros relievers have earned a save rate of 25.0% and stepped onto the hill in 18 save situations. They have compiled 2 saves for the year and have blown 6 of 8 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 30 runners this year and 26.7% of those players ended up scoring. The Astros have dispatched 84 relievers to the hill on the campaign.

The Astros have turned 67.4% of balls in play into outs in their 1,899 innings on the diamond, which has them ranked 27th in professional baseball. The Houston Astros are sitting with 633 putouts thus far, as well as 208 assists and 14 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .984 which puts them in 16th in baseball, and they have turned 22 double plays.

Verlander (258-141 win-loss mark in his career) has earned a FIP of 3.39 while he has gone up against 13,570 hitters in the majors. He has surrendered 2,797 base knocks (7.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 925 walks. His ERA is 3.24 (1,199 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.117. Verlander has taken the ball for 3,331 frames and is sitting with 3,346 strikeouts so far in his MLB career.

The Cubs have a team slugging % of .414 and they earn 5.48 runs per outing (5th in the league). They have 36 two-baggers, while taking a walk 91 times and putting up 126 runs. Chicago has 26 home runs this season to go along with 116 runs batted in. They have been called out on strikes on 198 instances (16th in the league) and have earned a total of 189 base hits. The Chicago Cubs have recorded an OBP of .328 in addition to a batting average of .245 over the course of the season.

The Cubs have a team WHIP of 1.277 in addition to having a FIP of 4.02 as a team this year. They are sitting at 12th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 181. The Chicago pitching staff have conceded 103 runs so far this season while holding an ERA of 4.04 (92 earned runs allowed). Their K/BB ratio sits at 8.90 (204 strikeouts vs 81 bases on balls). They have relinquished 24 home runs and they surrender 4.52 runs per 9 innings (19th in MLB).

Sitting with 28 save situations, the Cubs have accumulated 15 holds in addition to 6 blown saves. Chicago has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the hill in 12 save chances and they have converted 6 saves. Their relievers have come in 32 times in high leverage situations in addition to 25 occasions with runners on. Chicago relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 40.5% of 37 inherited base runners. They are currently ranked 25th in baseball holding a save percentage of 50.0%, and they have sent 81 bullpen pitchers to the hill over the course of the season.

The Chicago Cubs have turned 17 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .983 (17th in the majors). The Cubs have 196 assists, 14 errors and have accounted for 617 putouts so far this year. In 1,851 innings on the field, the Cubs have accumulated a efficiency on defense of 70.1% (15th in baseball).

Assad (9-5 career win-loss mark) has earned a 2.94 earned run average while allowing 7.6 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.10 and he has gone up against 699 hitters in his pro baseball career. He has given up 55 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.253 and a FIP of 4.3. In his pro baseball career, Assad has given up 142 base knocks while he has earned 145 punch outs in 168 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Chicago (-106)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here