The Chicago Cubs look to emerge victorious in MLB odds action as the Astros arrive at Wrigley Field on Monday.

Lucas Harrell, with a record of 10-11 on the season, gets the ball for the Astros, while the Cubs trot Jason Berken to the mound in this one. He is 0-2 so far in 2012.



View Houston vs Chi Cubs Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
If you're backing the visitors in this one, you'll find the Astros listed as underdogs of +-115 at most sportsbooks. Total bettors saw the number open in the area of 999, depending on the book.

Power Rankings:
The Cubs sit at No. 14 in the National League in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Astros sit at a National League No. 16 on the same chart.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Chicago's No. 14 ranked National League offense (3.8 runs per game) against a Astros defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 15 in the National League at 5 runs allowed per game. The Cubs have been averaging 8.1 hits per game, more than the Astros have managed so far this season (7.9 hits on average).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Chicago has the National League's No. 14-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Astros own the National League's No. 15 mark in runs allowed.

In their last action, Houston was a 7-0 Sportsbook on the road against the Brewers. Bettors on Houston at +215 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (7) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. Jordan Lyles chucked 9 shutout innings at the Brewers in their last game, striking out 3 in a 7-0 win against Milwaukee in baseball action at Miller Park.

In their last action, Chicago was a 7-2 Sportsbook on the road against the Diamondbacks. Bettors on Chicago at +173 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (9) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. The Cubs enjoyed a 7-2 victory at the expense of the Diamondbacks on Sunday, with Chris Rusin throwing 5 innings of 3-hit ball at Chase Field.


Houston Astros Trends:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing Chi Cubs are 4-6
After playing Milwaukee are 2-8
After a win are 3-7

Chicago Cubs Trends:
When playing on Monday are 3-7
Before playing Houston are 5-5
After playing Arizona are 4-6
After a win are 5-5

A few Astros at Cubs trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Houston's last 11 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Houston's last 19 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
Houston is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
Chi Cubs are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chi Cubs' last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi Cubs' last 11 games when playing Houston


Next up:
Houston at Chi Cubs, Tuesday, October 2