Cubs vs. Braves Prediction
Will the Braves pull off the upset tonight at home when they host Jon Lester and the Cubs at 7:35PM ET?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetDSI, the Cubs are -155 money line favorites versus the Braves, who have odds of +145 to pull off the upset. With Lester set to face Julio Teheran in the pitching matchup, the over/under currently sits at 9 runs.
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Latest on Lester via Rotoworld: Lester imploded in Sunday’s loss to the Pirates, yielding 10 runs (four earned) on six hits over 2/3 of an inning. He walked three and served up two homers including a grand slam by Francisco Cervelli. Barely half of his 53 pitches went for strikes as Lester allowed 10 of 12 base-runners to reach before mercifully getting the hook from manager Joe Maddon. Most of the damage against Lester was self-inflicted though the Cubs’ defense somehow made things worse by committing two errors. Lester’s meltdown provided a fitting end to what was a miserable first half for the defending World Champs. His 4.25 ERA is his highest at the break since 2013.
Teheran rattled off seven scoreless frames during a 13-0 demolition of the Nationals on Saturday. He spaced out four base hits and two walks while fanning five in the sterling effort. To his credit he was able to stay focused despite the lopsided score. Teheran has been wildly inconsistent this season. He has allowed six or more earned runs in a start five times, and zero earned runs in a start five times. He sports a 7-6 record with a 4.79 ERA and 1.38 WHIP through 18 starts. Compared to last season his strikeout rate has fallen and his walk rate has nearly doubled. He has 75 strikeouts and 40 walks in 103 1/3 innings.
Bet Today’s Cubs vs. Braves Game
OUR PREDICTION: The Braves are a perfect 6-0 in Teheran’s last six starts versus the Cubs, who are 2-8 in their last 10 games following a win. They’re also just 7-15 in their last 22 road games versus a right-handed starter and are 5-11 in their last 16 games versus a rigthy overall. On the other side, the Braves have won four of their last five games, are 10-4 in their last 14 home games, and are 6-2 in Teheran’s last eight starts.
MONDAY MLB PREDICTION: ATLANTA BRAVES +145