Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs 8/31/2017 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Wrigley Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Sean Newcomb vs. Kyle Hendricks

The Atlanta Braves head to Wrigley Field on Thursday, August 31, 2017 to take on the Chicago Cubs. The expected starting pitchers are Sean Newcomb for the Braves and Kyle Hendricks for the Cubs.

The odds for this matchup have Atlanta at +197 and Chicago at -221. The Braves have a 66-59-4 over/under mark and a 67-62-0 run line record. The Cubs are 55-76-0 against the run line and have a 61-63-7 over/under record.

Valuable Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 66-59-4 against the over/under

The Atlanta Braves are 67-62-0 against the run line

Important Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 61-63-7 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 55-76-0 against the run line

Key Atlanta Braves Injuries

08/19/17 P Luke Jackson Shoulder 10-day DL (08/19)
08/18/17 CF Danny Santana Quad 10-day DL (08/17)
08/08/17 2B Johan Camargo Knee 10-day DL (08/09)
08/05/17 P Ian Krol Oblique 10-day DL (08/05)
06/19/17 3B Adonis Garcia Finger 10-day DL (06/07)
06/19/17 2B Micah Johnson Wrist 60-day DL (03/30)
06/11/17 P Eric O'Flaherty Rotator Cuff 10-day DL (06/11)
05/28/17 P Armando Rivero Shoulder 60-day DL (03/30)
05/28/17 P Chaz Roe Shoulder 60-day DL (04/09)
05/28/17 P Jacob Lindgren Elbow 60-day DL (02/14)

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

08/18/17 P Justin Grimm Finger 10-day DL (08/18)
08/17/17 P Jon Lester Shoulder 10-day DL (08/17)
08/11/17 C Willson Contreras Hamstring 10-day DL (08/10)
08/04/17 SS Addison Russell Foot 10-day DL (08/03)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Braves have a 57-72 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Sean Newcomb has a 2-7 record with an earned run average of 4.36 and a WHIP of 1.55. He has 76 strikeouts over his 74.1 innings pitched and he's given up 71 hits. He allows 8.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.85. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.64 and they have given up 394 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .244 against the bullpen and they've struck out 389 hitters and walked 176 batters. As a team, Atlanta allows 9.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.7 batters per nine innings. They are 26th in the league in team earned run average at 4.78. The Braves pitchers collectively have given up 1,171 base hits and 612 earned runs. They have allowed 167 home runs this season, ranking them 12th in the league. Atlanta as a pitching staff has walked 466 batters and struck out 981. They have walked 3.6 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.7 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.42 and their FIP as a unit is 4.68.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Atlanta is hitting .262, good for 7th in the league. The Braves hold a .414 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .324, which is good for 16th in baseball. They rank 7th in MLB with 9.0 hits per game. Nick Markakis is hitting .278 with an on-base percentage of .356. He has 134 hits this season in 482 at bats with 65 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .394 and an OPS+ of 98. Ender Inciarte is hitting .301 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .343. He has totaled 164 hits and he has driven in 45 men in 545 at bats. His OPS+ is 95 while his slugging percentage is at .400. The Braves have 1,167 hits, including 230 doubles and 135 home runs. Atlanta has walked 364 times so far this season and they have struck out 950 times as a unit. They have left 873 men on base and have a team OPS of .738. They score 4.54 runs per contest and have scored a total of 586 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Chicago has a 71-60 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.45, Kyle Hendricks has a 5-4 record and a 1.24 WHIP. He has 89 strikeouts over the 101.2 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 94 hits. He allows 8.3 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.04. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.71 and they have given up 355 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .215 against the Cubs bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 479 batters and walked 207 opposing hitters. As a team, Chicago allows 8.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings. They are 9th in the league in team earned run average at 4.04. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,037 base knocks and 520 earned runs this season. They have given up 161 home runs this year, which ranks 15th in Major League Baseball. Chicago as a staff has walked 452 hitters and struck out 1,139 batters. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.29 while their FIP as a staff is 4.26.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .252, good for 19th in the league. The Cubs hold a .439 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .335, which is good for 8th in baseball. They rank 18th in MLB with 8.6 hits per contest. Kris Bryant comes into this matchup batting .289 with an OBP of .406. He has 129 hits this year along with 57 RBI in 446 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .531 with an OPS+ of 142. Anthony Rizzo is hitting .275 this season and he has an OBP of .394. He has collected 130 hits in 472 at bats while driving in 93 runs. He has an OPS+ of 137 and a slugging percentage of .525. The Cubs as a unit have 1,115 base hits, including 219 doubles and 187 homers. Chicago has walked 493 times this year and they have struck out on 1,123 occasions. They have had 922 men left on base and have an OPS of .774. They have scored 4.98 runs per game and totaled 648 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Braves/Cubs MLB game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Cubs -221

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