Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs 5/14/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Monday, May 14, 2018

Wrigley Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Julio Teheran vs. Jose Quintana

The Atlanta Braves visit Wrigley Field on Monday, May 14, 2018 to play the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are Julio Teheran for the Braves and Jose Quintana for the Cubs.

The opening line for this matchup has Atlanta at +153 and Chicago at -163. The Braves have a 19-16-3 over/under record and a 23-15-0 run line mark. The Cubs are 19-17-0 against the run line and have a 16-19-1 over/under record.

Valuable Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 19-16-3 against the over/under

The Atlanta Braves are 23-15-0 against the run line

Important Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 16-19-1 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 19-17-0 against the run line

Key Atlanta Braves Injuries

05/04/18 SS Dansby Swanson Wrist 10-day DL (05/04)
04/18/18 P Anibal Sanchez Leg 10-day DL (04/18)
04/18/18 P Jose Ramirez Shoulder 10-day DL (04/18)
03/30/18 P Chase Whitley Heel 10-day DL (03/26)
03/30/18 P Jacob Lindgren Elbow 60-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Grant Dayton Elbow 60-day DL (02/14)

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

05/13/18 CF Albert Almora Jr. Rest is not in the starting lineup Sunday vs Chicago White Sox
05/08/18 RF Jason Heyward Concussion 7-day DL (05/08)
05/07/18 P Yu Darvish Virus 10-day DL (05/05)
04/21/18 P Eddie Butler Groin 10-day DL (04/20)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Braves have a 23-15 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Julio Teheran has a 3-1 record with an earned run average of 3.14 and a WHIP of 1.16 this season. He has 42 strikeouts over his 43 innings pitched and he's given up 32 hits. He's allowed 6.7 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.34. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.50 and they have given up 112 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .213 against the bullpen and they've struck out 148 hitters and walked 87 batters. As a team, Atlanta allows 7.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.1 batters per nine innings. They are 7th in the league in team earned run average at 3.55. The Braves pitchers collectively have given up 307 base hits and 137 earned runs. They have allowed 32 home runs this season, ranking them 29th in the league. Atlanta as a pitching staff has walked 167 batters and struck out 350. They have walked 4.3 men per 9 innings while striking out 9.1 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.36 and their FIP as a unit is 3.85.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Atlanta is hitting .270, good for 1st in the league. The Braves hold a .445 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .338, which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 1st in MLB with 9.7 hits per game. Freddie Freeman is hitting .331 with an on-base percentage of .431. He has 48 hits this season in 145 at bats with 31 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .593 and an OPS+ of 180. Nick Markakis is hitting .346 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .420. He has totaled 53 hits and he has driven in 29 men in 153 at bats. His OPS+ is 165 while his slugging percentage is at .549. The Braves have 368 hits, including 80 doubles and 48 home runs. Atlanta has walked 132 times so far this season and they have struck out 300 times as a unit. They have left 279 men on base and have a team OPS of .783. They score 5.5 runs per contest and have scored a total of 209 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Chicago has a 21-15 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.42, Jose Quintana has a 4-2 record and a 1.47 WHIP. He has 32 strikeouts over the 36.2 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 36 hits. He's allowing 8.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.29. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.77 and they have given up 104 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .208 against the Cubs bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 133 batters and walked 62 opposing hitters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.4 batters per nine innings. They are 5th in the league in team earned run average at 3.39. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 276 base knocks and 125 earned runs this season. They have given up 36 home runs this year, which ranks 25th in Major League Baseball. Chicago as a staff has walked 157 hitters and struck out 311 batters. They give up a walk 4.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.4 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.31 while their FIP as a staff is 4.24.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .259, good for 9th in the league. The Cubs hold a .438 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .335, which is good for 3rd in baseball. They rank 5th in MLB with 9.2 hits per contest. Kris Bryant comes into this matchup batting .294 with an OBP of .433. He has 35 hits this year along with 19 RBI in 119 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .597 with an OPS+ of 174. Kyle Schwarber is hitting .260 this season and he has an OBP of .369. He has collected 27 hits in 104 at bats while driving in 17 runs. He has an OPS+ of 136 and a slugging percentage of .519. The Cubs as a unit have 332 base hits, including 70 doubles and 44 homers. Chicago has walked 124 times this year and they have struck out on 302 occasions. They have had 277 men left on base and have an OPS of .773. They have scored 5.47 runs per game and totaled 197 runs this season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Cubs -163

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Josh Schonwald