Oakland Athletics vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 9/18/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Oakland Athletics vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: NBC Sports California

Odds/Point Spread: Oakland (+135) Chicago (-161)

Wrigley Field is where the Chicago Cubs (77-73) will take on the Oakland Athletics (65-86) on Wednesday. The moneyline on this game has the Athletics at +135 while the Cubs are coming in at -161. The betting total comes in at O8.0. The pitchers expected to start will be Brady Basso and Javier Assad.

The Athletics have tallied 225 two-baggers as a unit and have smacked 189 balls out of the park. Oakland is slugging .398 and have struck out 1,402 times, while taking a walk on 464 occasions. As a unit, the Oakland Athletics are scoring 4.0 runs per game, which puts them at 26th in the league. They have 585 runs batted in and 1,188 base knocks so far this year, while their team batting average sits at .235. They have a total of 609 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .303.

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They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.39 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.33. Athletics pitchers have given up 152 home runs and 711 runs in total (25th in the league). Oakland has given up 1,292 hits (8.7 per 9 innings) and 647 earned runs. The Athletics hold a team earned run average of 4.35 for the year (24th in MLB), and they have struck out 1,170 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 489 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 4.17 as a team on the year.

Athletics pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on 157 times and also have had 159 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have notched 92 holds so far this year (7th in MLB). The Athletics relievers have accumulated a save rate of 61.5% and has entered the game in 147 save situations. They have earned 32 saves for the season and have blown 20 of 52 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 225 runners on the campaign with 32.9% of them ended up scoring. The Athletics have dispatched 488 relievers to the hill so far this year.

The Athletics have turned 69.0% of balls in play into outs out of 12,045 innings, which has them sitting 22nd in pro baseball. The Oakland Athletics have earned a total of 4,015 putouts on the year, in addition to 1,263 assists and 82 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .985 which ranks 18th in professional baseball, and have accumulated 133 double plays.

Basso has taken the hill for 14 innings and has tallied 11 punch outs during his MLB career. Basso (1-0 mark in his career) has a FIP of 1.25 and he has faced 55 opposing batters in the majors. His earned run average is 1.27 (2 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 0.915. He has given up 11 base hits (7.0 hits per nine innings) and has had 2 free passes.

Chicago has tallied 160 long balls on the year to go along with 652 runs batted in. They have 241 doubles, while getting a free base 507 times and racking up 692 runs. The Chicago Cubs have accounted for a team OBP of .318 as well as a batting average of .243 on the campaign. The Cubs have a slugging percentage of .397 and they tally 4.61 runs per game (12th in the league). They have been rung up on 1,274 occasions (16th in the league) and have earned a total of 1,227 hits.

The Chicago pitching staff have conceded 626 runs this year and come in with a team ERA of 3.80 (560 earned runs conceded). They have allowed 167 homers and they allow 4.25 runs per 9 innings (11th in MLB). The Cubs hold a team WHIP of 1.247 in addition to having a FIP of 4.03 as a pitching staff for the season. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 8.60 (1,268 strikeouts vs 454 walks). They are currently ranked 8th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits surrendered with 1,199.

Chicago relievers hold an inherited score rate of 30.8% out of 198 inherited base runners. Their relievers have stepped onto the hill 156 times in high leverage situations and on 130 occasions with runners on base. With 132 save situations, the Cubs have recorded 73 holds and 24 blown saves. They are currently ranked 25th in the league holding a save rate of 58.6%, and they have sent 456 bullpen pitchers to the hill so far this year. Chicago has called on relief pitchers to enter the game in 58 save opportunities and they have walked away with 34 saves.

The Chicago Cubs have turned 80 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .986 (10th in baseball). The Cubs have recorded 1,220 assists, 74 errors and have 3,976 putouts for the season. Out of their 11,928 innings on the diamond, the Cubs have earned a efficiency on defense of 70.5% (11th in professional baseball).

Thus far in his career, Assad has surrendered 256 base knocks while he has totaled 240 punch outs in 284 innings pitched. Assad (14-10 career win-loss mark) has earned a 3.17 ERA while allowing 8.1 hits per nine innings. He has given up a total of 100 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.323 and a FIP of 3.1. His K/BB ratio is 2.00 and he has faced 1,207 hitters during his pro baseball career.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Oakland (+135)

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