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The Chicago Cubs (24-18) and the Atlanta Braves (25-13) play the 2nd game of a 3-game set against Tuesday. First pitch at Truist Park is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Cubs vs. Braves odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Braves lead 1-0 and have won 4 straight over the Cubs since last season
Atlanta blanked Chicago 2-0 Monday night, cashing as a (-130) favorite for its 4th straight win at home. 3B Zack Short broke a 0-0 tie in the 6th, driving in C Travis D’arnaud with a double. SP Reynaldo Lopez pitched 5 scoreless innings before exiting with back tightness, although manager Brian Snitker said after the game the 30-year-old will be fine.
Chicago SP Shota Imanaga also went 5 scoreless innings, but ended up taking the no-decision as P Hayden Wesneski coughed up RBIs to Short and OF Ronald Acuna Jr. Cubs 3B Christopher Morel left the game after fouling a ball off his foot.
Cubs at Braves projected starters
RHP Jameson Taillon vs. LHP Chris Sale
Taillon (3-0, 1.13 ERA) makes his 5th start. He has a 0.88 WHIP, 1.88 BB/9 and 6.00 K/9 in 24 IP.
- Last start: Win, 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K in 6-5 victory over Milwaukee this past Saturday
- Features the 5th-lowest barrel percentage against (4.1%) amongst 73 NL starting pitchers with at least 20 IP
Sale (5-1, 2.95 ERA) makes his 8th start. He has a 0.98 WHIP, 31.69 BB/9 and 10.97 K/9 in 42.2 IP.
- Last start: Win, 6 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K last Wednesday in a 5-0 victory over Boston
- Generating the most soft-contact (25.9%) amongst 80 MLB starting pitchers
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Cubs at Braves odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:51 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Cubs +164 (bet $100 to win $164) | Braves -196 (bet $196 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the Spread (ATS): Cubs +1.5 (-137) | Braves -1.5 (+114)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Cubs at Braves picks and predictions
Prediction
Atlanta 4, Chicago 3
Moneyline
PASS.
Too much juice to lay on Atlanta on their own.
Run line
BACK CUBS +1.5 (-137).
Only Arizona has a higher team OBP (.366) vs LHP than Chicago (.361) and the Cubs possess the best BB/K ratio vs. lefties (0.54) in the NL. 2B Nico Hoerner has reached base in every game played this month and CF Cody Bellinger is back after breaking multiple ribs, so as long as Morel is ready to go, I would not expect a 2nd straight scoreless outing from Sale.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 8 (-115).
Short got the start Monday because the Braves usual man on the hot corner, 3B Austin Riley, is dealing with tightness on his left side. At the other corner, 1B Matt Olson has recently fared better at the plate, but still only has driven in 3 runs in 35 AB this month while hitting just .209 on the season.
Atlanta may have blown their lead on Sunday Night Baseball this past week vs. the New York Mets, but their bullpen still sports a collective 3.31 ERA, 3rd-lowest in the NL. Sale and the Braves relievers should limit any major damage against a Cubs lineup that is without their $177 million SS Dansby Swanson.
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