The Atlanta Braves (27-18) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (27-22) on Wednesday, May 22nd. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on BSSO. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Braves are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cubs. First pitch is set for 7:40 ET.
Braves vs Cubs
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Cubs vs Braves series. Chicago went into the matchup as +106 underdogs and squeaked out a 4-3 win. The Cubs had a two-run 6th inning and scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 10th. As for the Braves, they scored two runs in the 2nd and added their final run in the 4th.
Atlanta wasted a good outing from Charlie Morton, as he gave up just one run in five innings of work for the Braves. Aaron Bummer took the loss. Luke Little got the win out of the bullpen for the Cubs as Javier Assad went just 4 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs.
Offensively, the Cubs were led by Mike Tauchman and Dansby Swanson, as they were the only two Cubs hitters to have more than one hit. Tauchman. As for the Braves, Orlando Arcia went 2/4 with a home run.
Atlanta will be on the road for today’s game vs. the Cubs, and they are six games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. The Braves are 27-18 overall and have gone 10-5 in divisional games this year. So far, they have dropped the first game of their series vs. the Cubs.
At home, the Braves have gone 16-8 this year compared to an 11-10 mark on the road. As the favorite, the Braves have gone 27-15, but they are 0-3 as the underdog. Atlanta has dropped two straight on the road coming into today’s game, and their overall series record is 10-4-1.
When the Braves are on the road, they have a run line record of 12-9, including a 1-game losing streak. Their average run margin on the road is 1.2 runs per game, and their overall average run margin is 0.9 runs per game. They have a run line record of 21-21 as the favorite and 2-1 as the underdog.
The Braves are on the road today against the Cubs in a game with an over/under line of 9. Atlanta’s games have averaged 8.3 runs per game this season, and their O/U record is 14-29. When the O/U line is set at 9 runs, their record is 3-6-1. So far this season, 24.4% of their games have had O/U lines set at 9 runs, and their games have gone under the total in two straight contests.
Max Fried Gets The Start For The Braves
Max Fried is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Padres, as he gets the start for the Braves today vs. the Cubs. Against the Padres, Fried took the loss, giving up three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Looking back over his last four outings, Fried has given up at least two homers in three of those starts. This season, he has a record of 3-2, an ERA of 3.81, and a WHIP of 1.19. Opponents have a batting average of .211 vs. Fried this season. So far, he has one complete game shutout and four quality starts. Per nine innings, Fried is averaging 7.07 strikeouts and 3.62 walks.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna has been the Braves’ top hitter this season, as he is batting .325, which is also good for 3rd in the league. He also leads the team with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs. Ozuna has been hot of late, going 7/23 in his last six games, with two homers. Matt Olson is 2nd on the team in RBIs (25) but is batting just .223 for the season.
As a team, the Braves are 6th in batting average and are averaging 4.6 runs per game. They have been even better on the road this season, averaging 4.7 runs per contest. Overall, they are 14th in home runs and have the league’s 7th best slugging percentage.
With a record of 27-22, the Cubs are 2nd in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by 1.5 games. So far, they are 5-5 in divisional matchups. The Cubs were able to take the first game of this series vs. the Braves and are 7-6-2 in series this year, and they have dropped two straight series.
Chicago has gone 4-6 over their last 10 games and has posted a 15-9 record at home compared to 12-13 on the road. As for their performance as the favorite, the Cubs are 12-8 this year and 15-14 as the underdog. When playing at home as the underdog, the Cubs have gone 7-3 this season.
Chicago is 26-23 on the run line this season, including an 11-13 mark at home. The Cubs have an average run margin of +0.2 runs per game this season. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.1 runs per game, while their average run margin in losing games is -3.5 runs per game. The Cubs are 20-9 on the run line as an underdog and 6-14 as a favorite.
The Chicago Cubs have played to the under in three straight games and have an over/under record of 20-27 on the season. Their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game, and their average over/under line is set at 8 runs. When the over/under line is set at 9 runs, the Cubs are 2-3-2. So far this season, only 10.2% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs or higher.
Justin Steele Gets The Start For The Cubs
Justin Steele is getting the start for the Cubs today as they take on the Braves. This will be his 3rd start of the season, and he is still looking for his first win. In his last outing, he took the loss against the Pirates, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up 4 earned runs. He has yet to record a win, as he has a pair of no-decisions in his first two starts.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Cubs offense is averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 16th in the league. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.5 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting .230, which is 17th in the league and have the 14th most home runs in the league. One thing they have done well is draw walks, as they are currently 4th in the league in that category.
Christopher Morel is the Cubs’ top power threat, as his nine home runs are 1st on the team and 8th in the league. However, he is batting just .213 for the season and has gone just 6/31 in his last 10 games. Cody Bellinger and Michael Busch are also tied for 2nd on the team with seven home runs apiece. Bellinger is batting .255 for the season, while Busch is at .242.
Braves vs Cubs Prediction
Given that the Cubs are the underdogs at +116, that is the direction we recommend going for today’s Braves vs. Cubs matchup. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Cubs, and with the payout at +116, there is some good value on a Cubs win.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we do have Justin Steele finishing with more strikeouts than Max Fried, and we also have him finishing with fewer earned runs. Our projections have Steele going five innings, compared to Fried, who we have going just four.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 22, 2024 Braves, Cubs