After a day off, the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs resume their three-game series at SunTrust Park. Atlanta cruised past Chicago in the series opener with a dominant 8-0 win to continue the win-one, lose-one streak these teams have followed through their last seven meetings. The Cubs send ace Jon Lester to the hill to oppose Julio Teheran and this game has pick’em odds with the total Sportsbook at 9 runs.
Standout Stats
- Atlanta picked up its first win of the season on Monday in that 8-0 triumph over Chicago. Overall, the Braves are 1-3 SU and ATS in their four games this season. Meanwhile, the Cubs won their season-Sportsbook contest but have now dropped three straight and are also 1-3 SU and ATS in four outings.
- The OVER has been a reliable wager for both squads in the early stages of the year with three of Chicago’s four games and two of Atlanta’s four going OVER. In the Cubs’ four matches, they have had an average combined score of 14.75 with only one game having fewer than 10 total runs. Similarly, the Braves’ first four games have had an average combined score of 10.5, with two games having double-digit runs.
- The Cubs send Jon Lester to the mound for his second start of the year. The lefty restricted Texas to two earned runs on four hits over six innings in a 12-4 win on Sportsbook Day. The Washington native will have to be careful around Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman, who holds a career .300 batting average vs Lester with a triple and two homers. The Cubs hurler holds a 6-2 record with a stingy 2.47 ERA through nine career starts vs the Braves.
- Atlanta Sportsbook Day starter Julio Teheran is returning to the hill and is looking for a better outcome than his season debut. The righty yielded three earned runs on four hits over five innings in a 10-4 drubbing at the hands of the Phillies just under a week ago. The Colombia native has been strong against Chicago in his career, limiting the team to a combined .184 batting average and holding Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo to a combined 5-for-29, though two of those hits were homers. Teheran is 3-1 with a modest 3.44 ERA in eight lifetime appearances vs the Cubs.
- This is the first left-handed starter that Atlanta has faced this season and it is batting just .182 over 11 at-bats vs LHP overall. Meanwhile, Chicago is 0-2 SU and ATS against right-handed starters, but is leading the league with a .370 batting average vs righties.
My Best Bet for Atlanta vs Chicago
Chicago moneyline
Julio Teheran had a rough start to the season and now is set to oppose a Cubs team that is leading the league with a .370 batting average vs RHP. Meanwhile, the Braves are hitting just .182 in limited at-bats vs LHP. Additionally, Jon Lester has had good success against Atlanta, sporting a career ERA of 2.44 through nine starts.
Chicago leads the league with a .370 batting average vs RHP.home The total has gone OVER in three of Chicago’s four games this season. home Atlanta is 1-3 SU and ATS in its four games this season.away
