The Oakland Athletics will lose the designated hitter – usually 2018 MLB home-run champion Khris Davis – when they play at the Chicago Cubs in interleague action on Tuesday night. The A’s could opt to put Davis in the outfield and they are MLB Betting underdogs.
How to Bet Athletics vs Cubs MLB Week 19 Lines & Game Info
- When: Tuesday, 8 PM ET
- Where: Wrigley Field
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Brett Anderson/Jon Lester
- TV: MLB Network
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Radio: 670 The Score
- MLB Week 19 Lines: Chicago Cubs -140
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Weather Forecast
- Sunny: 24°C/75°F
- Humidity: 73%
- Precipitation: 4%
- Cloud Cover: 15%
- Wind: 8 mph NNE
- Stadium Type: Open
Why Bet on Oakland?
This is Oakland’s first trip to Wrigley Field since 2010 when they lost two of three. The A’s are 4-8 against the Cubs during the regular season. That includes 2-4 in Oakland and 2-4 in Chicago.
The A’s might have gotten very fortunate over the weekend. They claimed catcher Dustin Garneau off waivers from the Angels on Saturday and put him in the lineup Sunday. Garneau went 2-for-3 with a two-run double and a run scored in a win over the Cardinals. The trade deadline already has passed so that’s about the only way to find players now other than calling up guys from the minor leagues.
The A’s have tied an Athletics record for most players with 10 or more home runs with nine (2000 and 2017). They can break the record with one home run from Stephen Piscotty, who has nine. The A’s are one of nine teams in the majors with nine players with 10 or more home runs and only Minnesota (11) has more.
It’s lefty Brett Anderson on the mound for Oakland. Anderson (9-7) was charged with the loss against the Brewers last Wednesday after surrendering three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts over seven innings. Anderson allowed a leadoff home run to Lorenzo Cain in the first inning, which proved to be the only long ball of the game. The next run came from an RBI double by Christian Yelich in the third, and the final damage came from an RBI groundout by Mike Moustakas in the fourth. Despite a stronger second half, the 31-year-old will look for his first win since July 5 when he takes on the Cubs.
Anderson sports a 4.04 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 64:35 K:BB over 127 innings this season. He is one win shy of reaching double figures in victories for the third time in his 11-year career. Injuries have been a major factor for the left-hander, who’s on pace to make a career-high 32 starts. He started 31 games in 2015 for the Dodgers. Anderson is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA (10.0 IP, 12 h, 2 r, 2 er, 0 bb, 11 so, 0 hr) in two career appearances against Chicago, both starts while pitching for Colorado in 2014. His last outing was a no-decision in a 6-5 loss at Coors Field on Aug. 5, 2014.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.05
- Hits: 8.39
- Walks: 3.42
- Strike Outs: 7.92
Defense
- Runs: 4.31
- Hits: 8.32
- Walks: 3.17
- Strike Outs: 7.77
Why Bet on Chicago Cubs?
The Cubs have lost All-Star catcher Willson Contreras for about a month due to a hamstring injury. Contreras was put on the 10-day injured list Sunday, less than 24 hours after suffering the injury while running out a fly ball in Saturday’s game against Milwaukee. Contreras, 27, was batting .275 with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs. Victor Caratini figures to see the bulk of the playing time at catcher with Contreras sidelined.
Former closer Brandon Morrow said recently that he’s optimistic about contributing before the end of the season. Morrow hasn’t appeared in a game at the major league level since last July and he recently had another procedure on his troublesome right arm after being diagnosed with radial tunnel syndrome, but he anticipates getting on a mound this week at the Cubs’ spring training complex in Arizona. “With the way I’m feeling, I expect to progress quickly,” Morrow said. “I guess not more than a month away from being back.”
It’s lefty Jon Lester on the mound. Lester (9-7) allowed five runs on nine hits and no walks across five innings last Thursday while taking the loss against the Cardinals. He struck out six. Lester pitched well enough in the early stages, allowing two runs while scattering baserunners through the first five frames. When he came back out for the sixth, however, he allowed the first three hitters to reach and watched as each of them came around to score, with the big hit coming in the form of a three-run home run from Matt Wieters.
Lester returns to Wrigley Field, where he’s 6-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 11 starts this season. Lester has gone 6-4 with a 3.56 ERA (36 ER/91.0 IP) in 15-career starts against the Athletics. He also pitched in 11 games with Oakland during the 2014 season (6-4, 2.35 ERA). In his last three starts vs. Oakland, he has a 1.59 ERA (4 ER/22.2 IP) and has limited opponents to a .145 average while striking out 27 batters and walking just four. It’s his first start against Oakland since August 5, 2016.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.95
- Hits: 8.47
- Walks: 3.68
- Strike Outs: 9.14
- Runs: 4.27
- Hits: 8.39
- Walks: 3.19
- Strike Outs: 8.63
Athletics vs Cubs MLB Week 19 Betting Trends
- Cubs are 22-10 in Lester’s last 32 home starts vs. a team with a winning record
- Under is 5-0 in Anderson’s last 5 road starts
- Athletics are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland’s last 7 games against an opponent in the National League
- Cubs are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs’ last 9 games against Oakland
Expert Final Score Prediction for Athletics vs Cubs
Oakland Athletics 3 – Chicago Cubs 4
