Thursday night features the rubber match of a three-game series between the Chicago Cubs (8-10) and the Atlanta Braves (8-11). The Braves will host this one at Truist Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:20 pm ET.
After dropping the opener 3-1 on Tuesday, the Cubs bounced back with a 6-3 victory Wednesday. In the win, seven pitchers combined to give up three runs in the victory. David Robertson was credited with the win after going 1.1 innings and striking out three.
Offensively, Patrick Wisdom hit his third home run of the season while Seiya Suzuki went two for five with a run scored and a run batted in.
For the Braves, Charlie Morton had a rough start as he gave up three runs in 2.1 innings. Tyler Matzek took the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) in 0.2 innings.
Offensively, the Braves combined for eight hits, but they left 22 on base. Alex Dickerson and Adam Duvall combined for four hits, but they also combined to leave six on base.
The Braves are the favorites playing at home. They are -188 to win while the Cubs’ moneyline sits at +158. The runline features Chicago +1.5 (-140), and the over/under for total runs is 8.5.
Pitching Matchup
The Cubs will send lefty Drew Smyly (1-1, 2.45 ERA) to the mound for the finale. He took the loss in his last outing as he gave up four runs on six hits in five innings of work to the Pirates.
Atlanta will counter with 26-year-old Kyle Wright. He has been spectacular in the early going. In three starts, he is 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and he has 26 strikeouts in 17 innings of work.
Cubs Look To Turn Around Rough Stretch
The Cubs have struggled a bit as of late. They have won just four of their last ten games and now sit at 8-10, 3.5 games behind the Brewers.
On the road, they are currently 4-4, and they will look to get above .500 away from Wrigley Field Thursday.
Leading the offense for Chicago is Seiya Suzuki. In 57 at bats this season, he is hitting .333/.458/.632 with a team-high four home runs, 14 runs batted in, and 13 runs scored.
Catcher Willson Contreras has also gotten off to a nice start. He is hitting .254/.353/.458 with a couple of home runs and 13 runs scored. In limited at bats, he has also had some success against Kyle Wright as he is one for two with a home run.
Cubs/Braves Betting Prediction
The Atlanta Braves may be the defending World Series champions, but they certainly haven’t been playing like it. At 8-11, they sit 5.5 games out of first place. While it is far too early to panic about standings, they obviously need to play better to compete in an improved division.
Like the Cubs, they have struggled lately, losing six of their last 10. They have also struggled regardless of whether they are at home (5-7) or on the road (3-4).
Offensively, Ozzie Albies has had a nice start. While he is hitting just .240/.314/.533, he already has six home runs and also leads the team in runs batted in with 11.
He isn’t the only one that has shown the power stroke early, as Marcell Ozuna and Austin Riley have both hammered four home runs.
A few players have had success against Drew Smyly as Albies, Adam Duvall, and Matt Olson have all homered off of the lefty.
Take Atlanta To Win And Cover
Despite how poorly the Braves have played to start the season, there is a lot to like in this one.
First and foremost, Kyle Wright has been the Braves’ best starter thus far and has shown elite stuff. While he will eventually be due for a letdown, he hasn’t shown signs of slowing down yet.
Furthermore, the Braves have had success against Chicago. In fact, in their last nine home games against the Cubs, they are 7-2. Furthermore, they are 11-5 in their last 16 against NL Central teams.
The Braves do need to find more consistency, but this seems like an opportunity for them to take a baby step towards the right direction by winning this home series. Take Atlanta to both win, and don’t be surprised if they cover the -1.5 runline.
