Only four games on the MLB schedule Monday and the lone matinee features the Los Angeles Angels visiting the Chicago Cubs in a makeup game of one postponed in April. The Cubbies are favored on the MLB odds behind ace Jon Lester.
Angels vs Cubs MLB Betting Odds, Game Preview & Analysis
- When: Monday, 4:05 PM ET
- Where: Wrigley Field
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Cam Bedrosian/Jon Lester
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Stream: MLB.tv
- Radio: Los Angeles / Chicago
- Opening MLB Lines: Cubs -160, Angels +150
Weather Forecast
- Partly Cloudy: 17°C/63°F
- Humidity: 42%
- Precipitation: 0%
- Wind: 8 mph ENE
- Cloud Cover: 43%
- Type of Stadium: Open
Why Bet on LA Angels?
The Halos are playing some of their best ball of the season to get within a game of .500. They took three of four in Seattle over the weekend, winning the finale 13-3 on Sunday. Albert Pujols went 2-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs in the win. Pujols’ three-run homer in the second inning capped a seven-run frame for the Halos, and a ground-rule double with the bases loaded in the fifth inning scored two more. David Fletcher went 3-for-5 with an RBI double and two runs scored. Mike Trout also had three hits.
Cam Bedrosian will function as the Angels’ opener in front of Trevor Cahill on Monday. It’ll be the fifth time that Bedrosian has functioned as the opener for the Halos. Each of the previous four times he has pitched just the opening inning.
The Angels have used an opener to begin nine games this season, with five different relievers making starts. Each opener has pitched exactly one inning in their appearances with seven of the nine frames being scoreless innings. LAA is 5-4 in games when using an opener in 2019.
As far as Cahill (2-5, 6.92), he was charged with the loss in last start last Monday at Oakland after tossing 4.1 innings and being charged with six earned runs (matches season-high) on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. In five career games (four starts) against the Cubs, he is 3-1 with a 4.00 ERA (27 IP – 12 ER) and 23 strikeouts; this will be his first appearance against the Cubs since April 23, 2014 while playing for Arizona. Cahill played parts of two seasons (2015-16) for the Cubs and appeared in 61 games (one start), going 5-4 with a 2.61 ERA (82.2 IP – 24 ER). In 33 career games (three starts) at Wrigley Field, Cahill is 5-2 with a 2.83 ERA (54 IP – 17 ER).
Why Bet on Chicago?
The Cubs, meanwhile, are in a funk and were swept over the weekend in St. Louis. It was 2-1 on Sunday. Javier Baez went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in the loss. Baez has been stuck in a three-week tailspin at the plate since he suffered a heel injury on May 19. He’s hitting .186 (8-for-43) with only three extra-base hits and 20 strikeouts across 47 plate appearances during that span.
The Cubs have lost three consecutive series for the first time since the season’s opening week in which they lost their first three series. Chicago is now 10-4-2 in 16 series starting April 8. Fourteen of Chicago’s last 21 games have been decided by two or fewer runs, with the team going 9-12 in this 21-game stretch. All told, Chicago is 13-15 in games decided by two or fewer runs this season.
Since being recalled from Triple-A Iowa, May 6, Carl Edwards Jr. is 1-0 with three holds and a 2.61 ERA (3 ER/10.1 IP), walking just one, striking out 10 and holding the opponent to a .118 average (4-for-34) in 11 outings. He started the season with six earned runs, five walks and two strikeouts in 1.2 innings in four outings before he was optioned to Iowa, April 5. Edwards has lowered his season ERA from 32.40 prior to his option to his current 6.75 mark (with a .167 opponent average).
It’s Jon Lester on the mound. It’s his 11th start of the season, and sixth at home. He allowed a season-high seven earned runs in 4.2 innings last Tuesday at Houston, taking his third-straight loss. Lester is 0-3 with a 10.29 ERA (16 ER/14.0 IP) in his last three starts after going 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA (5 ER/38.2 IP) in his first seven starts of the season.
Lester has gone 5-4 with a 3.69 ERA (31 ER/75.2 IP) in 12 career starts against the Angels. He has faced the Angels once with Chicago, earning the win April 5, 2016 in Anaheim (7.0 IP, 1 R).
Angels vs Cubs MLB Betting Trends
- Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
- The total went OVER in 6 of the Angels’ last 8 games
- Cubs are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games
- The total went OVER in 8 of the Cubs’ last 11 games
Expert MLB Prediction for Angels vs Cubs
Cubs 5, Angels 4
