The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros aim to bounce back from challenging starts to the week when they face off in a Friday matinee to being a three-game interleague series. The Cubs (29-21) just got swept at home by the rival Brewers and have lost eight of 10 to fall out of first place in the rugged NL Central. The Astros (20-31) have dropped three of four and their pitching staff has the highest combined ERA in baseball. Jameson Taillon (2-3, 4.94) gets the ball for the homestanding Cubs, while Houston counters with Spencer Arrighetti (5-1, 1.50 ERA). 

First pitch from Wrigley Field in Chicago is set for 2:20 p.m. ET. Chicago is a -141 favorite on the money line (risk $141 to win $100) in the latest Astros vs. Cubs odds, with Houston priced at +120 (risk $100 to win $120). The over/under is 7. Before making any Cubs vs. Astros picks, be sure to see the Astros vs. Cubs predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model. 

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, and enters Week 9 of the MLB season on a red-hot 12-1 run on all top-rated MLB picks. It also excelled at making home run prop picks in 2025, returning nearly 30 units of profit. Anybody following its MLB betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Astros vs. Cubs and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several MLB odds and betting lines for Astros vs. Cubs:

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Top Astros vs. Cubs predictions 

After 10,000 simulations of Cubs vs. Astros, the model is going Over 7 combined runs. For over/under betting, the Over hasn’t hit in six straight, as the offense has managed only 12 runs in that span. The Over had hit in four straight Cubs games before the team was held to two combined runs by the Brewers on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Over is 5-2 for Astros games coming from an off-day. 

SportsLine’s model projects 1.8 total bases or more for the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Jeremy Pena. The Cubs, meanwhile, are projected to get over 1.4 total bases or more from Alex Bregman, Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong. The model projects 8.9 combined runs as the Over hits in 62% of simulations. Get the Astros vs. Cubs money-line pick at SportsLine.

How to make Astros vs. Cubs picks

After simulating every pitch of Astros vs. Cubs 10,000 times, the model also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can get that pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Cubs vs. Astros and which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.

Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin feels Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Sai Sudharsan should learn to accelerate towards the back end of the innings. He opined that the southpaw needed to improve to match the demands of modern-day T20 cricket.

Sudharsan has shown terrific form in IPL 2026 and is currently the Orange Cap holder. The opening batter has amassed 638 runs from 14 innings at a strike rate of 157.92. Speaking about the 24-year-old’s batting style, Ashwin remarked in his YouTube video:

“I want to praise Shubman Gill’s batting. He has put in a lot of effort and has shown great intent in the powerplay. I wouldn’t say the same thing about Sai Sudharsan. Sai Sudharsan plays conventional cricket, but capitalizes later on. I still think Sai Sudharsan needs to accelerate towards the end of the innings. T20 cricket has changed. He can do a lot more.”

Sudharsan shone with the bat in GT’s 89-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Ahmedabad on Thursday, May 21. He played a brilliant 84-run knock off 53 balls. Ashwin noted that the talented batter hit a four over mid-off after stepping out of the crease against Anshul Kamboj.

The former cricketer praised Sudharsan’s ability to upset the rhythm of the bowlers. He stated:

“He is not one of your modern-day T20 batters, but the way he used his feet today was good to see. He stepped out and hit Anshul Kamboj’s first ball over mid-off in the powerplay. He doesn’t hit straight that often, but today, he played his first lofted shot there.

“It would have been a catch had the mid-off been straighter, but we should praise him because this guy does something or the other to upset the rhythm of the bowlers. He doesn’t have power; he is not a powerful T20 hitter, he bats conventionally, but by using his brain, by running two, or by playing good shots, he upsets the bowler.”

With the comprehensive win over CSK, the Shubman Gill-led GT have secured a top-two finish in IPL 2026.

“He has not unlocked his full potential yet” – R Ashwin on Shubman Gill’s batting exploits in IPL 2026

R Ashwin lauded GT skipper Shubman Gill for changing his powerplay approach. He pointed out that the right-handed batter has played attacking cricket right from the outset.

However, Ashwin suggested that Gill has yet to unlock his full potential as a batter. He said in the same video:

“There is a huge difference in his powerplay intent. The volume of runs has always been there and is in the Orange Cap list, but he’s shown us that he can play with intent. I am still saying that it is 60-70 percent maximum. He has not unlocked his full potential yet. He is a special batter and can do more.”

Gill is the second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2026. He has scored 616 runs from 13 innings with a strike rate of 161.67.