The Atlanta Braves will head north to face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. WGN will be televising this NL matchup and the action gets going at 2:20 p.m. ET.
Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago Cubs Odds
The Braves have gone 24-15 SU this year and are 24-14 against the spread (ATS). They’ve gained 11.2 units for moneyline gamblers in the season’s early going and 10.7 units ATS. Atlanta has covered the spread four times in its last seven games and the over has hit in four of those seven. The Cubs, on the other hand, are 21-16 SU and 17-19 ATS. They’ve lost 1.2 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 2.0 units ATS. Chicago has covered the spread four times in its last seven games and the over has hit in five of those seven.
Chicago games have an over/under record of 17-19 so far in 2018. The Braves have an over/under record of 19-16-3.
The right-handed Julio Teheran is projected to start for the visiting Braves. Teheran is 3-1 with a 3.14 ERA and 42 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Cubs this year and only made one start against them in 2017 (0-1, 3.00 ERA and five strikeouts over six innings).
The Cubs are preparing to start lefty Jose Quintana (4-2, 4.42 ERA), who has 32 punchouts and 18 walks, as well as a 1.47 WHIP. Quintana is 0-0 with a 27.00 ERA against Atlanta this year.
Atlanta’s pitching staff allowed 4.0 runs per game and its starters own a 3.48 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 8.93 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.61, along with a K-per-9 of 9.31.
Braves hitters have slashed .269/.340/.442 on their way to 5.5 runs scored per game in 2018, including 5.2 runs per game over the team’s last 10 games and 6.2 per game over the team’s last five outings (4-1 SU).
First baseman Freddie Freeman and outfielder Nick Markakis have led Atlanta’s offense. Freeman is slashing .331/.433/.588 with eight home runs, 31 RBIs and 29 runs scored, while Markakis is hitting .344 with seven homers, 30 RBIs and 28 runs scored.
Freeman seemed to take a step back when hitting lefty pitching last year. Across 143 plate appearances, he maintained a slash line of .278/.357/.524 (his total season line was .307/.403/.586).
For the home team, Chicago’s pitchers have given up 3.9 runs per game overall in 2018. The team’s starting pitching staff has a 3.85 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has recorded a solid ERA of just 2.77, a WHIP of 1.20 and a K/9 of 8.8.
The Chicago hitters have produced 5.4 runs per outing, including 6.6 per game over its last 10 games and 7.8 per game over their last five. The team has slashed .302/.406/.547 over its last five games and is 4-1 SU during that stretch.
The Cubs’ batters have been led by third baseman Kris Bryant and second baseman Javier Baez. Bryant is hitting .285/.422/.577 with seven home runs, 19 RBIs and 26 runs scored, and Baez’s line sits at .282/.318/.613 with 10 homers, 36 RBIs, 27 runs and five stolen bases.
The Braves have gained 3.9 units and are 6-4 ATS when facing a lefty starter this season. The over has cashed in five of those games, compared to five that’ve gone under against left-handed starting pitchers. On the other hand, the Cubs have lost 0.8 units and are 12-13 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over has hit in 12 of those games, compared to 13 that’ve gone under.
Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cubs, ATS Winner – Braves, O/U – OVER
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Notes
Betting Notes
The Braves have won five of their last six games SU.
Atlanta fielders have committed five errors over their last five games, compared to two errors for Chicago over its last five.
The Braves have hit 16 home runs in their last 10 games, including nine over their last five.
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