Get Betting Tips and Odds for Astros vs Cubs – 5/24/2026

Houston Astros

@

Chicago Cubs

Houston Astros Insights

• Peter Lambert – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-135/+105)
  In his previous outing, Peter Lambert performed well and notched 8 strikeouts.
  Explain: A pitcher who was strong in his last outing may be sharp once again in his next outing.
• Brice Matthews – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+230/-310)
  Brice Matthews has negatively regressed with his Barrel% lately; his 8.1% seasonal rate has lowered to 0% in the past two weeks’ worth of games.
  Explain: Barrel% measures how often a player hits the ball at the optimal exit velocity and launch angle and is a terrific measure of underlying power.
• It may be wise to expect worse numbers for the Houston Astros offense going forward, considering that the leading projection system (THE BAT X) believes they are the 6th-luckiest offense in the league this year.
  Explain: When teams overperform their projected talent level, markets may overvalue them even while they are likely to perform worse in the near future.

Chicago Cubs Insights

• Chicago Cubs – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (-170)
  Shota Imanaga is an extreme flyball pitcher (44.1% FB% per the leading projection system, THE BAT) and should be helped pitching in the #21 HR venue in the majors in this matchup.
  Explain: This pitcher’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.
• Michael Conforto – Over/Under Total Bases
  Michael Conforto has seen a big gain in his exit velocity this year; just compare his 95.5-mph average to last year’s 90.2-mph EV.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
• The Chicago Cubs have hit 33.1% of their balls in the air at least 100 mph this year, making them the #7 squad in MLB by this metric.
  Explain: To hit a home run, the ball must be hit in the air and hit hard enough to clear the fence. This metric is a strong indicator of this kind of power.