Pick details
| MATCHUP | Houston Astros | Chicago Cubs |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 22-31 | 29-23 |
| Spread | +1.5 -149 | -1.5 124 |
| Moneyline | +147 | -179 |
| Total | Over 7 (-115) | Under 7 (-105) |
| Where | Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois | |
| When | Sunday, May 24, 2026 | |
| Time | 02:20 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Houston Astros Betting Preview
The Houston Astros are 22-31 on the year and play the Rangers and Brewers next. The Houston Astros are batting. 246 on the season, have a .320 OBP, and have a .403 slugging percentage. The Houston Astros’ pitching staff has a 5.18 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Yordan Alvarez leads the Houston Astros with 57 hits and 31 RBI while Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker have combined for 93 hits and 54 RBI.
Peter Lambert gets the ball for the Houston Astros, and he is 2-4 with a 3.57 ERA and 35 strikeouts this season. Lambert is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and 14 strikeouts in his career against the Chicago Cubs.
Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
The Chicago Cubs are 29-23 on the year and play the Pirates and Cardinals next. The Chicago Cubs are batting .238 on the season and have a .335 OBP, and a .390 slugging percentage. The Chicago Cubs’ pitching staff has a 4.05 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Nico Hoerner leads the Chicago Cubs with 52 hits and 30 RBI, while Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong have combined for 94 hits and 38 RBI.
Shota Imanaga gets the ball for the Chicago Cubs, and he is 4-4 with a 3.38 ERA and 61 strikeouts this season. This will be Imanaga’s first career game against the Houston Astros.
Why the Chicago Cubs will win
- The Astros have lost five of their last six day games following a win.
- The Cubs have won seven of their last eight Sunday games against AL West opponents that held a losing record.
- The Astros have failed to cover the run line in five of their last six day games following a win.
Why the Houston Astros will win
- The Cubs have lost eight of their last nine games as favorites.
- The underdogs have won each of the last five games between the Astros and Cubs at Wrigley Field.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in each of their last eight day games against American League opponents.
- The underdogs have covered the run line in each of the Astros’ last five games at Wrigley Field.
- The Astros have led after 3 innings in five of their last six day games against the Cubs.
- The Astros have led after 5 innings in five of their last six games against the Cubs.
Total Runs Facts
- Seven of the last eight games between the Astros and Cubs at Wrigley Field have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Each of the Astros’ last four games has gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in seven of the Astros’ last eight day games against NL Central opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of Shota Imanaga’s last four appearances as a starter.
Chicago Cubs Player Prop Facts
- Seiya Suzuki has hit a home run in three of the Cubs’ last five games at Wrigley Field against opponents that held a losing record.
- Ian Happ has recorded at least one hit in each of his last eight home appearances against opponents that held a losing record.
- Shota Imanaga has recorded a win in six of his last eight appearances at Wrigley Field against opponents that held a losing record.
Houston Astros Player Prop Facts
- Christian Vazquez has hit a home run in each of his last two appearances at Wrigley Field.
- Jose Altuve has recorded at least one hit in each of his last nine appearances in day games against NL teams that held a winning record.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Cubs rank 28th in the league for home runs allowed this season (70).
- The Cubs rank 6th in the league for runs scored this season (248).
- The Astros rank 29th in the league for steals this season (17).
- The Astros rank T28th in the league for triples this season (3).
Houston Astros vs Chicago Cubs Prediction
All of a sudden, the Astros have life and their pitching staff has really calmed down over their last four games. The Cubs are ice cold and they’ve scored 3 or fewer runs in 6 of their last 7 games. I’d still say the Cubs are the better team and Imanaga is fantastic when he’s right, but we’re getting nearly 1.5 times our money with a team that’s playing the better baseball. I have to side with the Astros and the more favorable price based on their current form.
Randy Chambers's Pick: Houston Astros
