Cubs vs. Braves Thursday Prediction
The Chicago Cubs are off to a 1-4 start and will be underdogs tonight in Atlanta where they’ll visit the Braves at 7:20 p.m. ET. Are bettors wise to back the Cubs with Yu Darvish on the hill?
Game Snapshot & Odds
957 Chicago Cubs (+100) at 958 Atlanta Braves (-120); 9 runs
Thursday, April 4, 2019
7:20 p.m. ET, SunTrust Park, Atlanta, GA
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Braves are a -120 favorite. As of this writing, 51% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Cubs to beat the Braves on the moneyline.
The above information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on this game.
Chicago Cubs Fantasy Spin
Willson Contreras went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored during a loss to the Braves on Wednesday. He reached base on an infield single in the second inning and came around to score on a knock by Jon Lester. Contreras smacked a home run off reliever Johnny Venters with Kyle Schwarber along for the ride in the sixth frame. The catcher is off to a .429/.556/.786 start with one longball and four RBI after five games.
Atlanta Braves Fantasy Spin
Dansby Swanson went 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI to help beat the Cubs on Wednesday. He took Jon Lester deep for a solo shot in the third inning, then drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. He also walked in the contest. The shortstop is hoping to be worthy of fantasy starting lineups for the first time this year. He has a .286 batting average with two home runs and five RBI in five games. He batted .238 with 14 home runs, 59 RBI and 10 steals in 136 games last year.
MLB Betting Trends
Chicago
The Cubs are winless in their last four games overall and have dropped four out of their last five versus teams from the National League East.
Atlanta
The Braves have lost eight of their last 11 overall but are 8-1 in their last nine home games.
Prediction:
There should be plenty of runs scored tonight. Max Fried has a ton of talent but he’s also allowed a 42% hard contact rate to right-handed hitters in his short major-league career and will face two of the best hitters in baseball (Kris Bryant and Javier Baez) versus left-handed pitchers. Darvish, meanwhile, could dominant just as easily as he could walk a bunch of batters and get bounced out of tonight’s game early. This Atlanta lineup is a patient bunch so if Darvish doesn’t have his command, it could be a long night for Chicago pitching.
The Pick: Cubs/Braves over 9