Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs 8/30/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Wrigley Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Mike Montgomery vs. Mike Foltynewicz

The Atlanta Braves head to Wrigley Field on Thursday, August 30, 2018 to take on the Chicago Cubs. The expected starting pitchers are Mike Montgomery for the Braves and Mike Foltynewicz for the Cubs.

The odds for this matchup have Atlanta at -136 and Chicago at +126. The Braves have a 61-65-5 over/under mark and a 68-63-0 run line record. The Cubs are 67-63-0 against the run line and have a 58-70-2 over/under record.

Valuable Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 61-65-5 against the over/under

The Atlanta Braves are 68-63-0 against the run line

Important Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 58-70-2 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 67-63-0 against the run line

Key Atlanta Braves Injuries

08/25/18 P Anibal Sanchez Hamstring left last game, is questionable for next scheduled start
08/08/18 P Max Fried Groin 10-day DL (08/08)
08/08/18 P Shane Carle Shoulder 10-day DL (08/08)
07/31/18 P Peter Moylan Ribs 10-day DL (07/31)
07/14/18 P Arodys Vizcaino Shoulder 10-day DL (07/14)
06/28/18 P Brandon McCarthy Knee 10-day DL (06/28)
06/27/18 P Darren O'Day Hamstring 60-day DL (06/27)
06/22/18 P Jose Ramirez Shoulder 60-day DL (04/18)
06/22/18 P Michael Soroka Shoulder 60-day DL (06/20)
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

08/23/18 P Tyler Chatwood Hip 10-day DL (08/23)
08/22/18 SS Addison Russell Shoulder 10-day DL (08/20)
08/17/18 P Mike Montgomery Shoulder 10-day DL (08/14)
08/03/18 P Brian Duensing Shoulder 10-day DL (08/03)
07/26/18 3B Kris Bryant Shoulder 10-day DL (07/24)
07/21/18 P Anthony Bass Back 10-day DL (07/21)
07/19/18 P Brandon Morrow Biceps 10-day DL (07/18)
06/27/18 P Justin Hancock Shoulder 60-day DL (06/26)
06/24/18 P Rob Zastryzny Back 10-day DL (06/24)
05/26/18 P Yu Darvish Triceps 60-day DL (05/23)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Braves have a 74-57 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Mike Montgomery has a 4-4 record with an earned run average of 3.62 and a WHIP of 1.34 this year. He has 61 strikeouts over his 99.1 innings pitched and he's given up 101 hits. He allows 9.2 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.96. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.08 and they have given up 410 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .238 against the bullpen and they've struck out 463 hitters and walked 204 batters. As a team, Atlanta allows 7.7 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 3.7. The Braves pitchers collectively have given up 1,012 base hits and 486 earned runs. They have allowed 129 home runs this season, ranking them 26th in the league. Atlanta as a pitching staff has walked 488 batters and struck out 1,159. They have walked 3.7 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.27 and their FIP as a unit is 3.95.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Atlanta is hitting .261, good for 3rd in the league. The Braves hold a .425 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .325, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 3rd in MLB with 9.0 hits per game. Freddie Freeman is hitting .310 with an on-base percentage of .393. He has 157 hits this season in 506 at bats with 78 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .510 and an OPS+ of 143. Nick Markakis is hitting .311 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .375. He has totaled 159 hits and he has driven in 83 men in 511 at bats. His OPS+ is 129 while his slugging percentage is at .477. The Braves have 1,184 hits, including 266 doubles and 147 home runs. Atlanta has walked 401 times so far this season and they have struck out 1,018 times as a unit. They have left 915 men on base and have a team OPS of .750. They score 4.76 runs per contest and have scored a total of 624 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Chicago has a 77-53 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 2.67, Mike Foltynewicz has a 10-8 record and a 1.13 WHIP this season. He has 169 strikeouts over the 145 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 108 hits. He allows 6.7 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.3. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.21 and they have given up 390 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .220 against the Cubs bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 462 batters and walked 218 opposing hitters. As a team, Chicago allows 8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8 batters per nine innings. They are 5th in the league in team earned run average at 3.67. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,055 base knocks and 484 earned runs this season. They have given up 132 home runs this year, which ranks 25th in Major League Baseball. Chicago as a staff has walked 521 hitters and struck out 1,062 batters. They give up a walk 3.9 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.33 while their FIP as a staff is 4.25.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .264, good for 2nd in the league. The Cubs hold a .423 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .341, which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 2nd in MLB with 9.2 hits per contest. Anthony Rizzo comes into this matchup batting .280 with an OBP of .374. He has 128 hits this year along with 86 RBI in 457 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .481 with an OPS+ of 122. Javier Baez is hitting .297 this season and he has an OBP of .328. He has collected 145 hits in 489 at bats while driving in 97 runs. He has an OPS+ of 129 and a slugging percentage of .573. The Cubs as a unit have 1,203 base hits, including 238 doubles and 142 homers. Chicago has walked 484 times this year and they have struck out on 1,096 occasions. They have had 1,016 men left on base and have an OPS of .763. They have scored 4.84 runs per game and totaled 634 runs this season.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Cubs +126

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