Atlanta Braves Vs. Chicago Cubs (6/17/22) Starting Lineup, Betting Odds, Prediction

The Atlanta Braves are the defending World Series champions and are +200 to win their division and +1000 to repeat as champions.  The Braves are 37-27 as we hit mid-June, with a 14-game winning streak, one shy of the franchise record; they sit in second place behind the New York Mets in the National League East.

The Chicago Cubs are currently 23-40, tied for fourth place in the National League Central and 13 games out of first place.  Chicago has lost 10 games in a row; the longest current losing streak in the majors and have been outscored 90-30 during the losing streak.  The Cubs are +17000 to win their division in 2022.  Between 2015 and 2020, the Cubs made the playoffs in five out of six seasons. 

Atlanta Braves Vs. Chicago Cubs Betting Odds

The Braves are 4-0 in their last four Friday games.  Over is 4-0 in Atlanta’s last four games as a road favorite.  The Braves are 39-16 in their last 55 games as a road favorite.  Under is 5-2 in Atlanta last seven vs. National League Central.  During their 14-game winning streak, Atlanta has hit 35 home runs.

The Cubs are 1-4 in their last five during game one of a series.  Over is 17-7-3 in Chicago’s last 27 games a home underdog.  The Cubs are 5-21 in their last 26 Friday games.  Under is 9-4-2 in Chicago’s last 15 home games vs. a right-handed starter. 

Atlanta Braves Starting Lineup

RF R. Acuna R
SS D. Swanson R
3B A. Riley R
1B M. Olson L
C T. d’Arnaud R
DH M. Ozuna R
LF A. Duvall R
2B O. Arcia R
CF M. Harris L

Atlanta Braves Vs. Keegan Thompson (R)

First baseman Matt Olson hit .271 while smashing 39 home runs and driving in 111 runs for the Oakland Athletics in 2021.  This season he’s hitting .248 with 24 doubles, eight home runs, 31 runs batted in and 109 total bases.  The Atlanta native is slugging .443 with an OPS of .970 in 2022.  Ozzie Albies smacked 30 home runs with 106 runs batted in with a .488 slugging percentage in 2021.  This season he has hit eight home runs, driving in 33 runs with a .405 slugging percentage.  The second baseman broke his foot earlier this week and is out until August.  Last season, Austin Riley hit .303 with 33 homers, 107 runs batted in while slugging .531.  In 2022, the third baseman is hitting .259 with a team leading 18 home runs, 39 runs batted in and 134 total bases.  Riley is slugging .534 and has an OPS of .865 this season.  Fan favorite Dansby Swanson is having a terrific season, hitting .295 with nine home runs, 37 runs driven in, 110 total bases and an OPS of .832 for his hometown team.

Marcell Ozuna has hit nine doubles, 12 home runs, driven in 26 runs with an OPS of .703 this season.  He has 101 total bases with a .421 slugging percentage in 2022.  Adam Duvall has hit 10 doubles, seven home runs, 25 runs batted in with 77 total bases this year.  Ronald Acuna Jr. has hit .284 in 134 at-bats since returning from a torn ACL that ended his season in 2021.  The 24-year-old has hit six home runs, 16 runs batted in with a .863 OPS. 

Keegan Thompson is 6-2 in 14 games (six starts) with a 3.67 ERA.  He’s struck out 39 batters and allowed 20 earned runs in 49 innings with a 1.245 WHIP.

Chicago Cubs Starting Lineup

CF C. Morel R
C W. Contreras R
LF I. Happ S
1B F. Schwindel R
3B P. Wisdom R
DH R. Ortega L
SS N.  Hoerner R
RF J. Heyward L
2B J. Villar S

Chicago Cubs Vs. Charlie Morton (R)

Patrick Wisdom mashed 28 homers and drove in 61 runs in 106 games in 2021.  This year he’s tied for the club lead in home runs with 12 and second on the Cubs in runs batted in with 31.  Wisdom has an OPS of .769 and a .459 slugging percentage in 2022.  Nico Hoerner is hitting .278 this year with five doubles, three triples, three home runs and 17 runs driven in.  He has an OPS of .705 with a .401 slugging percentage.  Frank Schwindel is second on the team in home runs this season with eight.  The first baseman leads Chicago in runs batted in with 32 while accumulating 88 total bases and an OPS of .561.

Ian Happ is hitting .283 with 12 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 95 total bases.  Additionally, he’s scored 30 runs and knocked in 30 runs this season.

Wilson Contreras slammed 21 home runs and drove in 57 runs while accumulating 181 total bases in 2021.  This season, he’s hitting .277 with 12 home runs (tied for the club lead), driven in 26 runs and has a team leading 102 bases.  Additionally, he has 12 doubles with a .543 slugging percentage with an OPS of .941, which leads the Cubs. 

Charlie Morton is 4-3 in 12 starts with a 5.67 ERA this season.  The veteran right-hander has struck 66 batters while allowing 38 runs in 60 1/3 innings with a 1.475 WHIP.  Against the Cubs, Morton has a career record of 4-6 in 16 games with an ERA of 5.44 in 84 1/3 innings pitched.

Atlanta Braves Vs. Chicago Cubs Picks & Prediction

Atlanta is scoring 4.84 runs per game, seventh in the majors.  The Braves are hitting .249 as a team, 11^th in MLB with an OPS of .760 which is second in the big leagues.  Atlanta’s pitching staff is allowing 4.15 runs per nine innings, 12^th in the majors with opponents hitting .228, eighth in the league.  The Braves are 4-0 in their last four during game one of a series.  Atlanta is 17-8 in their last 25 games following an off day.

Offensively, the Cubs are averaging 4.29 runs per nine innings, 19^th in the majors.  They are hitting .242 as a team, 16^th overall in MLB with an OPS of .712, 13^th overall.  Chicago’s pitching staff is allowing 5.38 runs per nine innings, 26^th in Major League Baseball with opponents hitting .257, 26^th overall.  The Cubs are 6-29 in their last 35 home games vs. a team with a winning record.  Chicago is 19-40 in their last 59 games vs. a right-handed starter.

The Braves have simply been awesome this month, making up six games in their division and putting themselves in a wonderful position to defend their championship.  While the Cubs have just played awful baseball the last few weeks.  I’ll take Atlanta in this game covering the 1.5 run spread with the teams combining for over eight runs.