Former National League rivals are set to square off for an Interleague series that will begin on Memorial Day. The Houston Astros will host the Chicago Cubs in what will also be a series featuring two of the last three World Series champions. The Astros and Cubs are two of the top teams in baseball again this season, and this should be a terrific series down in Houston.
The Cubs come into this game having lost two of their last three games to the lowly Cincinnati Reds. Chicago has been doing almost everything right in the month of May though and leads the National League Central Division with a record of 30-21. The Houston Astros just took two out of three games from the mighty Boston Red Sox over the weekend. Houston brings a 35-19 record into this game. The moneyline is the Houston Astros -183 and the Chicago Cubs +167 on Monday.
Astros Are Banged Up
The Houston Astros might be winning games, but they are doing it without several of their stars. Jose Altuve is close to returning but won’t be available on Monday, and George Springer will be out for an extended period of time. Springer was leading the team with 17 home runs and 43 runs batted in, and his bat will be missed. Third baseman Alex Bregman is having another solid season with 15 homers and 35 runs batted in.
Gerrit Cole will head to the mound for the season opener on Monday afternoon, and he is very familiar with the Chicago Cubs. Cole has been struggling for much of the 2019 season, but he has the talent to shut down any offense in any start. The hard-throwing right-hander has gone 4-5 with a 4.11 earned run average, and the Astros are expecting more from him as the season goes on.
Cubs Bats Getting Warm
The Chicago Cubs have a ton of offensive talent as well, and their bats have been heating up in the last few weeks. The Cubs have four different players with at least 12 home runs this season, and Anthony Rizzo leads the way with 14 homers and 40 RBI. Catcher Willson Contreras has been a force on offense as well and is hitting .320 with an impressive .425 on-base percentage. This Cubs lineup is one of the most feared offenses in baseball, and for very good reason.
Veteran Cole Hamels will be on the mound for the Cubs on Monday, and he is very familiar with pitching in Texas. The former Phillies and Texas Rangers starter has yet to lose a game this season and has been very reliable for the Cubs. Hamels has gone 4-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his first 10 starts, and the Cubs always have a shot with him on the mound.
Cubs Take Game One From Astros
This series could easily be a World Series preview, but each team has plenty of work to do before the end of October. Houston has been the much better team so far this season, but they don’t have their full roster for this game. Look for the Cubs to rough up Gerrit Cole and earn the series-opening win. Bet the Chicago Cubs +167 over the Houston Astros on Monday afternoon.
