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<p>At 7:40 PM from Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have an interleague matchup between the Astros and Cubs. Heading into Wednesday's game, the Astros are 7-17 compared to the Cubs at 14-9. The forecast from Chicago calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 40s.</p>

<p>Jameson Taillon is starting for the Cubs, and he is facing off against Spencer Arrighetti for the Astros. Chicago is at -112 on the money line compared to the Astros at -108. The over/under line is at 8 runs.</p><h3>CHICAGO CUBS VS HOUSTON ASTROS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline -112</p><p>This game will be played at Wrigley Field at 7:40 ET on Wednesday, April 24th.</p><h3>HOW TO BET THE ASTROS VS CUBS:</h3><ul><li>We have the Cubs winning by a score of 6 to 5</li><li>If you're looking for a run line pick, we also like the Cubs to cover</li><li>As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over</li></ul><p>Chicago cruised to a 7-2 win over the Astros in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a huge 1st inning, scoring five of their seven runs. As for the Astros, they scored their only two runs in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Cubs were at -106 on the money line.</p>

<p>Jordan Wicks pitched well for the Cubs in this one, going six innings and giving up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished the game with four strikeouts but issued zero walks. Wicks got plenty of run support, as the Cubs offense had a big day.</p>

<p>Mike Tauchman and Cody Bellinger each homered for the Cubs, while Jake Meyers went deep for the Astros. Tauchman, Bellinger, and Kyle Tucker each had two RBIs for their respective teams.</p><h3>Astros Records & Stats</h3><p>Houston is looking to snap a three-game losing streak today, as they take on the Cubs. Overall, the Astros are 7-17, and they are in 5th place in the AL West. The Astros are 5.5 games behind the Mariners for the division lead. So far, they have gone 4-3 in divisional matchups.</p>

<p>As the favorite, the Astros are 5-14 this season and 2-3 as the underdog. Houston has lost three straight games as the favorite. They have also lost four straight games overall and have dropped six of their last seven games.</p><p>The Astros are 8-16 on the run line this season, including a 3-8 mark on the road. They have failed to cover the run line in three straight road games and are just 3-14 against the run line as the favorite. Their average run differential is -1.4 runs per game.</p><p>Despite the over/under line for Astros games being set at 8 runs today, the team's games have averaged 9 runs per game this season. Houston has an over/under record of 8-14 this season, and the games have had an average line of 9 runs. Their last three games have gone under the total, and their games have had an average of 9.5 runs per game this season.</p><p>Spencer Arrighetti and the Astros are on the road to take on the Cubs today. Arrighetti has started two games this season, and both have been losses. In his first start, he went 4 innings and gave up 2 earned runs, and in his second start, he went 3 innings and gave up 7 runs.</p><p>Jose Altuve has been one of the league's top hitters this season, batting .357, and has also been hot of late, going 9/30 in his last seven games. However, he has yet to homer in that stretch. Kyle Tucker has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/24 with a homer in his last seven games. For the season, Tucker is batting .286 with a team-high 17 RBIs.</p>

<p>Yordan Alvarez and Tucker are tied for the team lead with five homers apiece, but Alvarez has struggled of late, hitting just .194 in his last seven games. Overall, the Astros are 2nd in team batting average at .263 and are 8th in team OPS. As a team, they are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 19th in the league.</p><h3>Cubs Records & Stats</h3><p>As the Cubs get set to host the Astros today, they are 14-9 overall and are in 2nd place in the NL Central. Chicago is a half-game behind the Brewers for the division lead. The Cubs have yet to play a game against other teams in the NL Central.</p>

<p>Chicago picked up a win in their most recent game vs. the Marlins but lost the series. So far, the Cubs have been good at home, going 8-3, and they are 6-6 on the road. This year, the Cubs are 8-7 as the underdog and 6-2 when favored.</p><p>The Cubs have been a solid run line bet this season, going 16-7 overall. They are 7-4 against the run line at home and 9-3 on the road. As the underdog, they are 11-4 against the run line, and they have covered the run line in their last five games as the underdog. Their average run differential is +1.0 runs per game, and they have a run differential of +2.7 runs per game at home.</p><p>Chicago's over/under record for the season is 11-12, and the average over/under line for their games is 8 runs. When the line is set at 8 runs, the Cubs have gone under in all five games. Overall, 56.5% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 8 runs.</p><p>Jameson Taillon is coming off a solid first start of the season, as he picked up a win vs. the Marlins. He went 5 innings, giving up just 1 earned run on 3 hits and struck out 4. Taillon did give up a home run in that outing.</p><p>Chicago comes into the game as one of the top-scoring teams in the league, averaging 5.5 runs per contest. They have been even better at home, putting up 6.3 runs per game. The Cubs have been a good home run hitting team so far and have the league's 3rd best isolated power figure. As a team, they are batting .245.</p>

<p>Michael Busch has been a key run producer for the Cubs, as his 15 RBIs are 2nd on the team and 9th in the league. He also comes into the game with the team's top home run total of six. Cody Bellinger has also been a key run producer, as he is 7th in the league with 17 RBIs. Bellinger is also on an eight-game hitting streak and has three homers in his last seven games.</p>

Houston Astros vs Chicago Cubs Betting Pick & Prediction 4/24/24

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The SMU Mustangs find themselves in hostile territory for the Boca Raton Bowl against the Florida Atlantic Owls, but it doesn’t really seem that way. There is a major difference between having a home game and having a bowl game at home. It can be a de-motivating factor in a way for the home team. Part of the fun of bowl season is going somewhere new and experiencing all the things that sponsors and local attractions plan for the players.

The Owls miss out on that by staying home. Their bowl game could very well have been the Conference USA Championship Game, which they won in decisive and dominant fashion over UAB. Now FAU sets its sights on SMU in an acronym bowl game on December 21. SMU is up to a 3.5-point “road” favorite with a total of 72.

As we know, the bowl season is a unique animal. Motivation matters on both an individual and team level. When it comes to SMU, the Mustangs have a lot of NFL-level talent. That’s not to say that FAU does not, but SMU has wide receivers like James Proche and Reggie Roberson, running back Xavier Jones, and maybe even quarterback Shane Buechele with some NFL aspirations. Some guys opt to sit out the bowl game and avoid injury for the NFL Draft. Others use the bowl game and the Senior Bowl in hopes of jumping up the draft boards of the NFL teams.

In the case of Buechele, originally a commit to Texas, he’ll have his entire senior season to attempt to put on a show, as he will likely stay put and see if he can’t pad his stat sheet a little more. Jones is a senior with over 1,200 yards. With the shelf life of running backs, Jones could sit out here and it wouldn’t surprise anyone. After all, the senior back is 16th in the country in rushing attempts, so he’s taken a lot of hits while proving his potential worth at the next level.

Proche, who racked up another 1,000-yard season and hawked some targets and touchdowns from an injured compadre in Roberson, is also a senior. He’s caught 195 balls the last two seasons and has established himself as one of the top possession receivers in the Group of Five. Roberson struggled with injuries and has a year of eligibility left, so his decision will more than likely be to remain at SMU and be Buechele’s top target with what should be an explosive offense again.

As we consider these things, in particular with this write-up 10 days before the game, it has to factor into the handicap. I wouldn’t say that SMU is disappointed to be in this bowl game, but the Mustangs had higher hopes going into the road game at Memphis that ended their perfect season.

Meiko Dotson has to be excited about this bowl game. Whether the FAU corner lines up on Proche or Roberson, the senior from Daytona Beach has a chance to open some scouts’ eyes in this one. His nine interceptions lead the nation and FAU leads the nation at +20 in turnover margin with 31 takeaways. Aside from Dotson, and tight end Harrison Bryant, who also has an NFL future, it is fair to wonder about the Owls and their motivation level here.

Head coach Lane Kiffin took the gig in Oxford with Ole Miss, so defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer will take over. Spencer is not getting the job, so FAU will have an interim for the bowl game. Interim head coaches are about a 50/50 proposition over the last 15+ years, so we don’t really have any sort of angle in that regard. FAU has already hired Willie Taggart, so a new staff is coming. Will the Owls play for the interim and a departing coaching staff?

FAU’s offense wasn’t overly explosive. SMU’s underachieved to a degree with 6.24 yards per play based on the talent, but FAU really underachieved with 5.94 YPP. Chris Robison was banged up a little bit throughout the year, but had a 26/6 TD/INT ratio and completed over 60% of his tosses. Malcolm Davidson ran for seven yards per carry. FAU did manage 6.44 YPP in conference action, but it’s worth pointing out that FAU also played the 114th-ranked schedule per Sagarin. SMU played the 76th-ranked schedule and FAU even played Ohio State early in the year, otherwise the SoS would be even lower.

For me, it’s SMU here. The Mustangs haven’t won 11 games since 1982 and haven’t won a bowl game since 2012. The Mustangs lost to Louisiana Tech 51-10 in the Frisco Bowl two years ago. They are supremely motivated. I’m not sure we can say the same about FAU.

Giving FAU a full HFA, which may not be accurate given that a lot of students will be on Winter Break, I still have SMU -4 in this one and a case could be made for -5 or even -6, given that it would be -7 on a neutral field in my numbers. It’s pretty clearly SMU for me in this one.

<strong>Pick: SMU -3.5</strong>

Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl Odds, Pick, & Prediction: SMU vs. Florida Atlantic

<p>Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Jaguars versus the Golden Grizzlies? Tip off is at at 7:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Athletics Center O'rena in Rochester, MI. The over/under for this game is set at 135.5 points, and Oakland is favored by -10 vs. IU Indy in a Horizon League conference matchup.</p><h3>IU INDY JAGUARS VS OAKLAND GOLDEN GRIZZLIES BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Oakland Golden Grizzlies -10</p><p>This game will be played at Athletics Center O'rena at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, January 15th.</p><h3>WHY BET THE OAKLAND GOLDEN GRIZZLIES:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 80-67 in favor of the Golden Grizzlies.</li><li>Not only will Oakland pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -10.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 135.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.</li></ul><h3>Will the Jaguars Come Through as Road Underdogs?</h3><p>IU Indy improved to 3-12 on the season with a commanding 95-61 win over Detroit on Thursday. Playing at home, the Jaguars entered the game as 6-point favorites and covered the spread with ease. The total points for the game reached 156, surpassing the over/under line of 139.5.</p> <p>IU Indy took control early, leading 45-29 at halftime, and continued their strong play in the 2nd half, scoring 50 points while allowing just 32.</p><p>In their latest game, the IU Indy Jaguars put up 95 points, shooting 45.5% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 59.1%, thanks in large part to hitting 47.4% from beyond the arc, knocking down 18 threes on 38 attempts. They also connected on 73.9% of their free throws, going 17-for-23 from the line.</p> <p>The Jaguars dished out 21 assists and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds. Grant Gondrezick II led the way with 21 points and 5 assists, while Jarvis Walker added 20 points, hitting 6 threes at a 60% clip. DeSean Goode contributed 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Alec Millender was efficient, making 4 of 5 threes and finishing with 15 points and 6 assists.</p><p>Despite giving up 61 points, IU Indy allowed their opponent to shoot 45% from the field, with 12 made two-pointers on 28 attempts (42%).</p> <p>From beyond the arc, the Jaguars gave up 18 threes on 38 attempts (47%). They also sent the opponent to the line 23 times, where they converted 17 free throws (73%).</p><h3>Will Oakland Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?</h3><p>Oakland improved to 5-12 on the season with a 68-53 win over Northern Kentucky on Saturday, January 11th. The Golden Grizzlies were +3.5 point underdogs going into the game, but not only won, they covered the spread as well.</p> <p>Oakland led 41-32 at halftime and held Northern Kentucky to just 21 points in the 2nd half while scoring 27 points of their own. The total points for the game ended at 121, falling short of the 128.5 O/U line.</p><p>Oakland's offense put up 68 points in their last game, shooting 41.4% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 48.3%. They hit 31% from beyond the arc, going 9-for-29, while connecting on 51.7% of their two-point attempts. At the free-throw line, they were nearly perfect, hitting 11 of 12 shots for a 91.7% success rate.</p> <p>The Golden Grizzlies grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, but only managed 7 assists as a team. DQ Cole contributed 16 points, shooting 4-for-11 from three-point range, while Buru Naivalurua added 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting, also hitting his only three-point attempt and pulling down 9 rebounds.</p><p>Oakland's defense was strong, holding their opponent to just 53 points on 36% shooting from the field. They allowed 13 two-point baskets on 26 attempts, a 50% conversion rate.</p> <p>From beyond the arc, Oakland limited their opponent to 7 made threes on 29 attempts, a 24% success rate. The Golden Grizzlies also sent their opponent to the line 12 times, where they made 6 free throws, shooting 50%.</p>

IU Indy Jaguars vs Oakland Golden Grizzlies NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/15/25

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