Braves vs. Cubs Prediction, Betting Tips & Picks 4/26/2022

The Atlanta Braves (7-10) host the Chicago Cubs (7-9) at 7:20 PM ET Tuesday for a sluggers’ duel between two of the best home-run hitters in baseball. Ozzie Albies has racked up six homers this season (No. 1 in the league) for the favored Braves which sit as -195 favorites, while Seiya Suzuki ranks 10th in the majors with four dingers of his own for the underdogs. Max Fried starts for Atlanta while Marcus Stroman is Chicago’s starter for the contest.

Braves vs. Cubs Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Braves vs. Cubs

Our computer pick: Chicago Cubs (+165) and Over (8)

Braves vs. Cubs Game Info

• Atlanta Braves probable starting pitcher: Max Fried
• Chicago Cubs probable starting pitcher: Marcus Stroman
• Game Day: Tuesday, April 26, 2022
• Game Time: 7:20 PM ET
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia
• Stadium: Truist Park

Atlanta Braves vs Chicago Cubs Pitching Matchup

Braves Starter Max Fried

• Fried makes the start for the Braves, his fourth of the season. He is 1-2 with a 3.50 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched.
• The lefty last pitched on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings while giving up two hits.
• In three games this season, the 28-year-old has put up an ERA of 3.50, with 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .250 against him.
• Fried will look to continue a four-game streak of pitching five or more innings (he’s averaging 6.0 frames per appearance).
• The opposing Cubs offense has a collective .273 batting average, and is second in the league with 145 total hits and first in MLB action with 84 runs scored. It has the third-ranked slugging percentage (.420) and ranks 17th in home runs (13) in all of MLB.
• This season, the 28-year-old ranks 34th in ERA (3.50), 22nd in WHIP (1.000), and 29th in K/9 (8.5) among pitchers who qualify.

Cubs Starter Marcus Stroman

• Stroman (0-2) will take to the mound for the Cubs and make his fourth start of the season.
• The right-hander gave up seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched on Wednesday in his last outing, a matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays.
• The 30-year-old has an ERA of 8.78, 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings and an opponent batting average of .286 in three games this season.
• Stroman has one start of five or more innings this season in three chances. He averages 4.1 innings per outing.
• The Braves rank 12th in MLB with 68 runs scored this season. They have a .231 batting average this campaign with 20 home runs (third in the league).

Braves Betting Picks & Insights

• The Braves have entered the game as favorites 10 times this season and won four of those games.
• Atlanta has played as a favorite of -195 or more twice this season and lost both games.
• The moneyline for this contest implies a 66.1% chance of a victory for the Braves.
• Atlanta and its opponents have gone over the total this season in eight of their 17 opportunities.
• The Braves are 6-11-0 against the spread this season.

Cubs Betting Picks & Insights

• The Cubs have been chosen as underdogs in 10 games this year and have walked away with the win five times (50%) in those games.
• Oddsmakers have given Chicago the worst odds of winning they have seen this season with a +165 moneyline listed for this contest.
• The Cubs have an implied victory probability of 37.7% according to the moneyline set by oddsmakers for this matchup.
• Chicago’s games have gone over the total in seven of their 16 opportunities.
• The Cubs have an against the spread record of 9-7-0 in 16 games with a line this season.

Braves Leaders & Batting Stats

• Albies paces the Braves in home runs (six) and runs batted in (11).
• Of all batters in MLB, Albies ranks first in homers and 17th in RBI.
• Matt Olson has a club-high .355 batting average.
• Olson ranks 52nd in homers in MLB, and 107th in RBI.
• Austin Riley is batting .295 with six doubles, four home runs and eight walks.
• Marcell Ozuna is batting .273 with five doubles, four home runs and three walks.
• Ozuna has recorded at least one hit in two games in a row. During his last five outings he is hitting .222 with two doubles, two walks and two RBI.

Cubs Leaders & Batting Stats

• Suzuki leads the Cubs with four home runs and 13 runs batted in, while recording a team-high batting average of .354.
• Among all hitters in the big leagues, Suzuki’s home run total ranks 10th and his RBI tally is seventh.
• Ian Happ has three doubles, a home run and eight walks while hitting .333.
• Happ ranks 108th in home runs and 33rd in RBI among all hitters in the big leagues.
• Willson Contreras is batting .255 with four doubles, two home runs and six walks.
• Nico Hoerner has two doubles, a triple, a home run and a walk while batting .327.

Betting Tips for Braves vs. Cubs

After digging through all of the key stats and trends for this matchup, our best bet is the Cubs on the moneyline at +165. Our computer prediction sees the scoring going over the total of 8 runs.