Houston Astros vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 5/22/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Friday, May 22, 2026

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (+132) Chicago (-160)

Wrigley Field is the site where the Chicago Cubs (29-21) will compete against the Houston Astros (20-31) on Friday. The odds on this game have the Astros at +132 while the Cubs are sitting at -160. The total is 8. The men taking the mound are Spencer Arrighetti and Jameson Taillon.

As a squad, the Houston Astros are scoring 4.3 runs/g, which puts them at 18th in MLB. They have accounted for 218 runs while holding a team OBP of .321. The Astros have earned 84 two-baggers as a unit and have knocked 60 balls out of the park. They have accumulated 208 runs batted in as well as 422 base knocks for the season, while their team batting average sits at .246. Houston is slugging .404 and have struck out 411 times, while taking a walk on 171 occasions.

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The Astros hold a team ERA of 5.34 so far this season (30th in baseball), and they have struck out 431 batters. Astros pitchers have allowed 67 home runs and also 274 runs in total (29th in baseball). Their pitching staff has walked 249 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 5.01 as a squad for the year. Houston has conceded 434 base knocks (8.8 per 9 innings) and 265 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 1.73 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.53.

The Astros have dispatched 154 relief pitchers to the mound so far this year. The relief pitchers have inherited 89 runners over the course of the season with 27.0% of them crossing the plate. The relievers have 18 holds on the year (26th in the league). Astros bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on 54 times in addition to having 38 appearances in high leverage situations. They have recorded 11 saves so far this year and have missed out on 2 out of their 13 chances to get a save. The Astros bullpen have recorded a save rate of 84.6% and have entered the game in 31 save situations.

The Houston Astros have a total of 1,339 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 390 assists and 17 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .990 which has them ranked 3rd in MLB, and have accumulated 46 double plays. The Astros have turned 69.1% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 4,017 innings on the field, ranking them 23rd in professional baseball.

Arrighetti has taken the ball for 216 innings and has racked up 237 strikeouts during his career. His ERA is 4.16 (100 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.374. He has allowed 191 base knocks (8.0 hits per 9 innings) with 106 free passes. Arrighetti (13-19 career mark) sits with a FIP of 4.10 while he has faced 940 hitters in the majors.

Chicago has hit 58 HRs over the course of the season as well as 227 runs batted in. They have recorded 76 doubles, while walking 228 times and putting up 246 runs. The Chicago Cubs have a team on-base percentage of .338 in addition to a batting average of .242 on the campaign. The Cubs hold a team SLG% of .397 and they average 4.92 runs per game (7th in the league). They have struck out on 417 instances (14th in MLB) and have a total of 410 base hits.

The Cubs hold a team WHIP of 1.227 with a FIP of 4.38 as a staff this season. They rank 15th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 393. The Chicago pitching staff have surrendered 218 runs on the year while having an ERA of 4.07 (201 earned runs allowed). They have earned a K/BB ratio of 8.10 (402 strikeouts vs 152 bases on balls). They have allowed 67 home runs and they concede 4.42 runs per 9 innings (13th in baseball).

Sitting with 31 save situations, the Cubs have compiled 11 holds in addition to 7 blown saves. Chicago has had relief pitchers step onto the mound in 17 save chances and they have tallied 10 saves. Chicago relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 27.5% out of 69 inherited runners. Their bullpen pitchers have taken the field 50 times in high leverage situations and on 49 occasions with runners on. They rank 21st in MLB with a save percentage of 58.8%, and they have dispatched 151 relievers to the mound on the campaign.

Out of their 3,999 innings on the field, the Cubs have earned a defensive efficiency of 71.9% (5th in the majors). The Chicago Cubs have gotten 35 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .986 (17th in the majors). The Cubs have racked up 472 assists, 25 errors and have notched a total of 1,333 putouts on the season.

Taillon (84-63 record in his career) has earned a 3.92 earned run average and has given up 8.6 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.59 and he has faced 5,338 batters so far in his MLB career. He has surrendered 560 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.194 and a FIP of 3.9. During his MLB career, Taillon has conceded 1,226 base hits while he has tallied 1,115 strikeouts in 1,287 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston (+132)

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