Atlanta Braves vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 9/16/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Atlanta Braves vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Atlanta (+125) Chicago (-150)

The Atlanta Braves (88-63) are on their way to Wrigley Field on Wednesday where they will take on the Chicago Cubs (84-67). The moneyline on this game has the Braves at +125 and the Cubs are at -150. The total is 8. The starting pitchers are JR Ritchie and Shota Imanaga.

As a team, the Atlanta Braves are notching 4.6 runs per contest, which has them at 8th in the league. They have earned 696 runs and have an OBP of .311. The Braves have tallied 238 two-baggers as a unit and have smacked 189 balls out of the park. They have accrued 666 RBI's as well as 1,261 hits this year, while their team batting average is .247. Atlanta has a slugging rate of .410 and have been rung up 1,220 times, while being walked on 436 occasions.

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They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.50 and their pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.25. Braves pitchers have allowed 167 home runs and 584 runs in total (5th in MLB). Atlanta has conceded 1,171 hits (7.9 per 9 innings) as well as 539 earned runs. The Braves have an ERA of 3.62 on the campaign (4th in baseball), and the staff has struck out 1,262 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 504 batters and their FIP is 4.09 as a team this year.

Braves bullpen pitchers have come into the game with opponents on base 114 times as well as having 168 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have a total of 100 holds on the season (3rd in baseball). The Braves relief pitchers have compiled a save rate of 70.8% and have entered the game in 170 save situations. They have earned 46 saves over the course of the season and have blown 19 of their 65 save chances. The relief pitchers have inherited 164 runners over the course of the season and 22.0% of them ended up crossing the plate. The Braves have sent 467 relievers to the hill this year.

The Braves have converted 71.3% of balls in play into outs out of their 12,069 innings on the field, which has them sitting at 6th in professional baseball. The Atlanta Braves have a total of 4,023 putouts over the course of the season, in addition to 1,247 assists and 64 errors. Their fielding rate is holding at .988 which is 6th in the majors, and have a total of 125 double plays.

Ritchie has taken the hill for 58 frames and has accumulated 53 K's thus far in his career. Ritchie (1-2 career mark) has earned a FIP of 4.43 and he has faced 256 batters in the majors. His ERA is 4.50 (29 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.431. He has conceded 47 base knocks (7.3 hits per 9 innings) and has had 36 free passes.

The Cubs have a team SLG% of .431 and they score 5.34 runs per game (1st in baseball). They have put up 258 two-baggers, while taking a walk 636 times and scoring 806 runs. Chicago has accumulated 208 home runs on the campaign and 762 runs batted in. They have been rung up on 1,259 occasions (14th in baseball) and have earned 1,303 hits. The Chicago Cubs have a team on-base percentage of .340 in addition to a team batting average of .251 on the year.

The Cubs hold a team WHIP of 1.271 and have a FIP of 4.70 as a squad on the season. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 7.80 (1,170 strikeouts vs 467 free passes). They rank 17th in the league as a staff in total hits surrendered with 1,246. They have surrendered 224 homers and they yield 4.43 runs per 9 innings (12th in baseball). The Chicago pitching staff have allowed 664 runs on the campaign and come in with a team ERA of 4.18 (626 earned runs allowed).

They sit at 25th in baseball holding a save rate of 55.9%, and they have dispatched 483 relievers to the mound so far this season. Their relievers have come in 145 times in high leverage situations and on 151 occasions with runners on. Sitting with 117 save situations, the Cubs have recorded 51 holds in addition to 26 blown saves. Chicago has called on bullpen pitchers to take the mound in 59 save opportunities and they have tallied 33 saves. Chicago bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 33.0% of 212 inherited base runners.

The Chicago Cubs have gotten 116 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .990 (1st in the majors). The Cubs have accrued 1,429 assists, 56 errors and have earned 4,044 putouts on the campaign. Out of their 12,132 innings on the diamond, the Cubs are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 71.8% (3rd in professional baseball).

In his MLB career, Imanaga has conceded 411 hits while tallying 447 strikeouts in 480 innings pitched. He has given up 186 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.046 and a FIP of 3.4. He has a K/BB ratio of 4.91 and he has faced 1,922 hitters during his career. Imanaga (34-21 mark in his career) has earned a 3.49 earned run average while allowing 7.7 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Chicago (-150)

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