Chicago Cubs at Atlanta Braves 5/17/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Thursday, May 17, 2018

SunTrust Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Jon Lester vs. Mike Soroka

The Chicago Cubs visit SunTrust Park on Thursday, May 17, 2018 to play the Atlanta Braves. The probable starters are Jon Lester for the Cubs and Mike Soroka for the Braves.

The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at -132 and Atlanta at +122. The Cubs have a 17-21-1 over/under record and a 19-20-0 run line mark. The Braves are 25-16-0 against the run line and have a 20-18-3 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 17-21-1 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 19-20-0 against the run line

Important Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 20-18-3 against the over/under

The Atlanta Braves are 25-16-0 against the run line

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

05/08/18 RF Jason Heyward Concussion 7-day DL (05/08)
04/21/18 P Eddie Butler Groin 10-day DL (04/20)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

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)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Cubs have a 22-17 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jon Lester has a 3-1 record with an earned run average of 2.66 and a WHIP of 1.32 this season. He has 36 strikeouts over his 44 innings pitched and he's given up 38 hits. He's allowed 7.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.55. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.66 and they have given up 107 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .199 against the bullpen and they've struck out 142 hitters and walked 69 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.5 batters per nine innings. They are 6th in the league in team earned run average at 3.47. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 292 base hits and 135 earned runs. They have allowed 40 home runs this season, ranking them 25th in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 166 batters and struck out 330. They have walked 4.3 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.5 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.31 and their FIP as a unit is 4.29.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .255, good for 10th in the league. The Cubs hold a .431 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .334, which is good for 3rd in baseball. They rank 5th in MLB with 9.0 hits per game. Kris Bryant is hitting .281 with an on-base percentage of .415. He has 36 hits this season in 128 at bats with 21 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .586 and an OPS+ of 166. Javier Baez is hitting .274 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .310. He has totaled 40 hits and he has driven in 36 men in 146 at bats. His OPS+ is 136 while his slugging percentage is at .596. The Cubs have 343 hits, including 71 doubles and 46 home runs. Chicago has walked 135 times so far this season and they have struck out 311 times as a unit. They have left 290 men on base and have a team OPS of .765. They score 5.39 runs per contest and have scored a total of 205 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Atlanta has a 25-16 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.68, Mike Soroka has a 1-1 record and a 1.71 WHIP. He has 15 strikeouts over the 14.2 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 21 hits. He's allowing 12.9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 2.8. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.62 and they have given up 122 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .216 against the Braves bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 158 batters and walked 88 opposing hitters. As a team, Atlanta allows 7.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.9 batters per nine innings. They are 8th in the league in team earned run average at 3.57. The Braves pitchers as a team have surrendered 319 base knocks and 145 earned runs this season. They have given up 35 home runs this year, which ranks 27th in Major League Baseball. Atlanta as a staff has walked 175 hitters and struck out 362 batters. They give up a walk 4.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.35 while their FIP as a staff is 3.93.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .269, good for 1st in the league. The Braves hold a .445 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .339, which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 1st in MLB with 9.6 hits per contest. Freddie Freeman comes into this matchup batting .325 with an OBP of .432. He has 49 hits this year along with 31 RBI in 151 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .576 with an OPS+ of 175. Nick Markakis is hitting .346 this season and he has an OBP of .415. He has collected 56 hits in 162 at bats while driving in 30 runs. He has an OPS+ of 160 and a slugging percentage of .537. The Braves as a unit have 385 base hits, including 82 doubles and 52 homers. Atlanta has walked 143 times this year and they have struck out on 317 occasions. They have had 297 men left on base and have an OPS of .783. They have scored 5.47 runs per game and totaled 219 runs this season.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Braves +122

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