Braves vs. Cubs Prediction, Betting Tips & Picks 4/28/2022

The Atlanta Braves (8-11) and the Chicago Cubs (8-10) meet in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday at 7:20 PM ET. The Braves are -181 favorites on the moneyline to win the series over the Cubs (+153). Atlanta’s Kyle Wright gets the start, and he’ll go against Chicago’s Drew Smyly.

Braves vs. Cubs Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Braves vs. Cubs

Our computer pick: Chicago Cubs (+153) and Over (8.5)

Braves vs. Cubs Game Info

• Atlanta Braves probable starting pitcher: Kyle Wright
• Chicago Cubs probable starting pitcher: Drew Smyly
• Game Day: Thursday, April 28, 2022
• Game Time: 7:20 PM ET
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia
• Stadium: Truist Park

Atlanta Braves vs Chicago Cubs Pitching Matchup

Braves Starter Kyle Wright

• Wright (2-0 with a 1.06 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched) makes the start for the Braves, his fourth of the season.
• The righty’s most recent appearance came on Friday against the Miami Marlins, when he tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing four hits.
• In three games this season, the 26-year-old has a 1.06 ERA and 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing a batting average of .180 to his opponents.
• Wright will try to pitch five or more innings for his fourth straight start. He’s averaging 5.2 innings per outing.
• He will match up with a Cubs offense that ranks third in MLB with 160 total hits (on a .267 batting average). The squad also slugs a collective .416 (fourth in MLB) with 15 total home runs (19th in MLB).

Cubs Starter Drew Smyly

• The Cubs’ Smyly (1-1) will make his fourth start of the season.
• The left-hander’s last start was on Saturday, when he tossed 5 2/3 innings while giving up four earned runs on six hits in a matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• The 32-year-old has an ERA of 2.45, 5.5 strikeouts per nine innings and an opponent batting average of .232 in three games this season.
• In three starts, Smyly has pitched through or past the fifth inning two times. He has a season average of 4.3 frames per outing.
• The Braves are batting .229 this season, 16th in MLB. They have a team slugging percentage of .397 (eighth in the league) with 21 home runs.

Braves Betting Picks & Insights

• The Braves have won five, or 41.7%, of the 12 games they’ve played as favorites this season.
• Atlanta has entered four games this season favored by -181 or more and is 1-3 in those contests.
• The Braves have a 64.4% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
• So far this season, Atlanta and its opponents have hit the over in nine of their 19 games with a total.
• The Braves have an ATS record of 7-12-0 in 19 games with a spread this season.

Cubs Betting Picks & Insights

• The Cubs have been chosen as underdogs in 12 games this year and have walked away with the win six times (50%) in those games.
• Chicago has been listed as an underdog of +153 or more on two occasions this season and won both games.
• The Cubs have an implied victory probability of 39.5% according to the moneyline set by sportsbooks for this matchup.
• Contests with Chicago have gone over the total set by oddsmakers in eight of 18 chances this season.
• The Cubs have an against the spread record of 10-8-0 in 18 games with a line this season.

Braves Leaders & Batting Stats

• Ozzie Albies leads the Braves in home runs (six) and runs batted in (11).
• Albies’ home runs rank him second in the majors, and he is 26th in RBI.
• Matt Olson has a club-high .329 batting average.
• Olson is 67th in homers and 132nd in RBI among all hitters in MLB.
• Austin Riley has six doubles, four home runs and nine walks while hitting .275.
• Marcell Ozuna is hitting .257 with five doubles, four home runs and three walks.

Cubs Leaders & Batting Stats

• Seiya Suzuki has put up a team-leading four home runs and has driven in 14 runs.
• In all of the big leagues, Suzuki ranks 13th in homers and ninth in RBI.
• Ian Happ’s .340 batting average leads his team.
• Among all MLB hitters, Happ is 67th in home runs and 26th in RBI.
• Willson Contreras has six doubles, two home runs and seven walks while batting .254.
• Patrick Wisdom is batting .236 with five doubles, three home runs and seven walks.

Betting Tips for Braves vs. Cubs

Our best bet is the Cubs on the moneyline at +153 after taking a look at all of the key stats and trends for this matchup. Our computer predicts the total score will over the total of 8.5 runs.