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The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros begin a three game series tonight with the two teams looking for some momentum. Chicago comes in after being embarrassed over their last two games by the Minnesota Twins. They were outscored 27-4 over the two games and 29-10 over the three game series overall but did manage to steal one of the matchups. They will be looking to get back on track here against the defending champions. As for the Astros, they took two of three from the Chicago White Sox and now will be going for the Chicago series win.
Date: Monday, May 15th, 2023
Time: 8:10 p.m. EST
Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas
Team Records: Chicago Cubs (19-21), Cleveland Guardians (21-19)
Projected Starting Pitchers:
Jameson Taillon (0-2, 6.41 ERA) vs Framber Valdez (3-4, 2.38 ERA)
What to Watch:
Framber Valdez takes the mound today for the Astros and he will be looking to build on his successful season thus far. Despite his record, he has pitched well and has kept this Astros team afloat during some early season struggles. If he can keep his pitch count low and control the zone, he could find success against a trigger happy Cubs squad.
Chicago is better than they were last season but they still do have some issues on offense. They can be inconsistent at times and that could work to the advantage of the Astros today. Valdez is one of the best in the league at maximizing against teams that swing and miss often so it could be a strong day for him.
Game Prediction: Houston Astros 3, Chicago Cubs 2
The Astros take this game behind a shutout performance from Valdez. He goes seven innings without allowing a run and the rest is done by the bullpen.
Odds Presented By Betfred Sportsbook
Spread – Chicago Cubs +1.5 (-130) / Houston Astros -1.5 (+110)
Moneyline – Chicago Cubs +170 / Houston Astros -200
Total – 8.0 – Over (+100) / Under (-120)
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