MLB Odds: Cubs-Athletics prediction, pick, how to watch

An intriguing head-to-head showdown on the diamond will take place later tonight as the Chicago Cubs look to win their third straight game overall as they take on the scuffling Oakland Athleticsseries where our Cubs-Athletics prediction and pick will be revealed.

Standing as the second-place team in the NL Central entering the day, the 9-6 Chicago Cubs put a whopping upon the Oakland A’s on Monday which resulted in a 10-1 blowout win for the Cubbies. After signing some fresh faces and making a plethora of moves during the off-season, it seems like Chicago is not messing around in an attempt to make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2020. On the mound in this one for the Cubs will be the do-it-all veteran right-hander in Marcus Stroman. In three starts, Stroman is 2-1 with a minuscule 1.00 ERA overall.

As for the A’s, the beginning of the season could not be off to a worse start. Not only has the empty seats at home games made headline news around the sport, but they also sport a 3-14 record overall and are in the midst of a horrendous five-game losing stretch. Nevertheless, it will be up to starting southpaw Ken Waldichuk to right the ship after boasting an 0-2 start to go along with an awful 10.20 ERA to kick off the season-long campaign.

Here are the Cubs-Athletics MLB odds,

MLB Odds: Cubs-Athletics Odds

Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (-110)

Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (-110)

Over: 8 (-105)

Under: 8 (-115)

How To Watch Cubs vs. Athletics

TV: NBC Sports California/MLB.TV

Stream: MLB.TV

Time: 9:40 ET/6:40 PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Cubs Could Cover The Spread

Not only are the Cubs an encouraging 4-0 in their last four road games against left-handed starting pitchers, but they are also going up against an Oakland squad that has gone 0-5 at home versus teams with winning records this season. While it will be important to keep these statistics in mind when deciding on who to wager upon in this one, the Cubs’ best chance to cover the spread will fall on the shoulders of a balanced offensive attack that can get the job done in a multitude of ways. Whether it’s hitting for a high average or sending the baseball into the bleachers with the long ball, don’t be surprised to see Chicago take advantage of Oakland’s porous pitching staff from the very first pitch.

More specifically, the recent surge of production from third-baseman Patrick Wisdom has turned the Cubs’ offense into a high-octane, slugging machine. Believe it or not, after Wisdom clubbed a pair of home runs in the win yesterday, he has now hit a grand total of eight round-trippers on the season which is tied for the most in all of baseball.

In addition, it certainly helps to have a veteran pitcher in the likes of Marcus Stroman to put together a solid quality start. Stroman hasn’t faced off with the A’s since 2019, but in six-career starts against them, he has gone 1-1 with a 4.21 ERA.

Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread

The overall morale from the fan base, upper management, and even the players themselves seem to be at an all-time franchise low as the Oakland A’s arguably look like the worst team in baseball at the moment. Whether it’s been sloppy discipline at the plate, poor location with their pitches, or mental errors defensively in the field, you name it and the A’s have probably found a way to mess things up.

All jokes aside, as bad as this club has been during the opening 17 games of the season, there is still somewhat a glimmer of hope that Oakland could find a way to cover the spread later this evening. For starters, the Oakland A’s have to find ways to reach base by drawing walks, and displaying patience when up to bat will prove to be critical. Without a doubt, Oakland isn’t the type of team that is going to hit an absurd amount of home runs each night out, so  Alas, taking a page out of former general manager Billy Beane by playing “small ball” and increasing their on-base percentage may be Oakland’s best bet to treat the very few A’s fans to a delightful treat on this Tuesday night.

All in all, the biggest reason for Oakland’s struggles up to this point has been in large part due to one of the worst pitching staff that baseball has to offer. In fact, the Athletics rank dead-last in ERA (7.74), WHIP (1.72), and BAA (.286). As horrifying as these numbers appear to be, it will be up to Ken Waldichuk to keep Chicago off-balanced by putting together a strong start and handing off that positive momentum to the rest of the bullpen in the later innings.

Final Cubs-Athletics Prediction & Pick

On paper, the Cubs are 4-0 overall in their last four meetings in Oakland and that should not be expected to change whatsoever. Hammer the Cubbies and don’t look back!

Final Cubs-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Cubs -1.5 (-110)