Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Angels preview, Monday 6/3

thechampionrings · 04-06-2019 12:15:52

After being swept by division rival St. Louis this past weekend, the Chicago Cubs(Chicago Cubs championship rings) return home to face the Los Angeles Angels on Monday in a makeup of their April 14 interleague matchup, which was rained out. The Cubs (31-26) lost three straight to fall out of first place and have lost eight of 10, while the Angels (29-30) have been on a roll, and are 5-2 on their road trip, which concludes in Chicago. First pitch from Wrigley Field is set for 4:05 p.m. ET. The Angels and Cubs split their two meetings in April. The latest Cubs vs. Angels odds show Chicago at -160 on the money line (risk $160 to win $100), with the over-under set at 8.5 runs. Before making any Cubs vs. Angels picks of your own, be sure to check out the MLB predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has returned over $1,000 in profit on its top-rated MLB(mlb championship rings) picks in 2019. It also entered Week 10 on a sizzling 21-7 run on top-rated MLB money line picks. Anybody who has been following it is way up.

Now the model has dialed in on Cubs vs. Angels. We can tell you it's leaning over 8.5 runs, and it also found that one side of the money line has all the value. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.

Despite going 1-5 on their road trip, the Cubs are formidable at home, where they are 18-10 this season. Left-hander Jon Lester (3-4, 3.59 ERA) gets the start. After posting a 1.16 ERA through seven starts, he has struggled in his last three starts, two of which were on the road. He is tough at Wrigley, however, where he has posted a 1.90 ERA this season.

Statistically the Cubs have an advantage in several offensive categories, including on-base percentage (.344 to .337), slugging percentage (.459 to .429), triples (8 to 5), homers (94 to 80) and total bases (884 to 870). Shortstop Javier Baez (.298) has been a difference-maker with 22 multi-hit games this season. He is 3-for-8 with three doubles and two RBIs against the Angels.

But just because Chicago(championship rings) is hard to beat at Wrigley Field does not mean it is the best value on the Cub vs. Angels money line.

That's because the Angels enter the game red hot. Los Angeles, 14-16 on the road this year, has won two in a row and seven of nine. The Angels have won their last three series overall. Statistically, they have the edge over the Cubs in several offensive categories, including batting average (.258 to .255), runs scored (300 to 294), hits (523 to 493), doubles (97 to 93) and RBIs (284 to 283). Pitching-wise, the Angels have an edge in WHIP (1.34 to 1.37), opponents' batting average (.243 to .249), walks allowed (212 to 217) and strikeouts (517 to 498).

Center fielder Mike Trout (.299) has been on a tear, going 8-for-14 (.571) with a double, two home runs and seven RBIs over the past four games, while right fielder Kole Calhoun (.245) went 4-for-12 (.333) with two home runs and four RBIs in a four-game weekend series at Seattle. Third baseman David Fletcher (.323) has a 12-game hitting streak, going 21-for-49 (.429) with seven doubles, a home run and eight RBIs in that span, including six multi-hit games.