Houston Astros vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 05/24/26

The Houston Astros will look to complete a rare series sweep Sunday afternoon against the struggling Chicago Cubs after securing a 3-0 victory on Saturday. The Astros are expected to hand the ball to Peter Lambert, who enters with a 2-4 record, 3.57 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 35 strikeouts across 35.1 innings pitched this season. To counter, Chicago’s Shota Imanaga will try to rebound after a rough outing against the Brewers in his last start. Despite that performance, Imanaga still owns a solid 3.38 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 61 strikeouts in 58.2 innings. 

The Cubs are in a slump, having lost 7 straight and 8 of their last 10 games. Over that stretch, Chicago is hitting just .194 and averaging 3.1 runs per game. Houston hasn’t been dominant offensively either, averaging just 2.6 runs per game while hitting .201 over its last 10, but the Astros have compensated with stronger pitching. Over that same span, Chicago has posted a 4.89 ERA compared to Houston’s 3.34, which has been the key separator in this series. While both offenses have been inconsistent, the Astros’ ability to limit damage on the mound has given them the edge in this matchup. Eventually, the Cubs will snap the offensive funk they’re in, but that may not happen Sunday, as Lambert is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA through 3 starts against the Cubs in his career. 

Astros vs Cubs prediction: Houston Astros ML  (+140) at the time of publishing. Playable to +120. 

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