Friday, July 8, 2016

U.S. Cellular Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Matt Wisler vs. Chris Sale

The Atlanta Braves visit U.S. Cellular Field on Friday to play the Chicago White Sox. The probable starters are Matt Wisler for the Braves and Chris Sale for the White Sox. The opening line for this matchup has Atlanta at +260 and Chicago at -290. The over/under was set at 8. The Braves have a 38-41-6 over/under record and a 37-48-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 44% of the time. The White Sox are 42-43-0 against the run line and have a 39-43-3 over/under record. They cover the spread 49% of the time.

The Braves head into this matchup with a 28-57 record, including 15-23 on the road. Starting pitcher Matt Wisler has a 3-8 record with an earned run average of 4.16 and a WHIP of 1.26. He has 76 strikeouts over his 101.2 innings pitched and he has given up 99 hits so far this season. He has allowed 8.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.31. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 4.23 and they have given up 282 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .251 against the bullpen while being struck out 297 times and walking 146 times this season. As a team, Atlanta has allowed 8.65 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.79 batters per nine. They are 17th in the league in team earned run average at 4.34. The Braves pitchers have collectively given up 741 base hits and 372 earned runs. They have allowed 93 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. Atlanta as a pitching staff has walked 290 batters and struck out 667. They walk 3.4 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.34 and their FIP as a unit is 4.27.

As a team, Atlanta is batting .236, good for 30th in the league while putting together a .232 average away from home. The Braves hold a .340 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .299 which is good for 28th in baseball. They rank 26th in baseball with 8.06 hits per game. Nick Markakis comes into this game hitting .255 and his on-base percentage is at .333. He has 81 hits this season along with 32 runs scored and 43 runs batted in. He's struck out 52 times and has walked 38 times. Freddie Freeman is hitting .286 and he has an on-base percentage of .369. He has totaled 91 hits so far while scoring 40 runs and he's driven in 32. He has walked 37 times and has struck out 94 times. The Braves have 685 hits, including 136 doubles and 45 home runs. They've stolen 44 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 20 times. Atlanta has walked 234 times this season and they've struck out 652 times as a unit. They've left 601 men on base and have a team OPS of .640. They score 3.36 runs per contest and have scored a total of 286 runs so far this year.

Chicago comes into this matchup with a 23-20 home record and a 44-41 overall mark. With an earned run average of 2.93, Chris Sale has a 14-2 record and a 0.98 WHIP. He has 118 strikeouts over the 120 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 94 hits. He has allowed 7.1 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.45. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.49 and they have given up 239 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .248 against the White Sox bullpen while being struck out 234 times and walking 121 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 8.92 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.88 batters per nine. They are 11th in the league in team earned run average at 3.98. The White Sox pitchers as a team have surrendered 756 base knocks and 336 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 87 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 289 hitters and struck out 668. They give up a walk 3.4 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.37 while their FIP as a staff is 4.14.

As a team, they are batting .249, good for 20th in the league while putting together a .251 average at home. The White Sox hold a .400 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .317 which is good for 20th in baseball. They rank 20th in baseball with 8.47 hits per contest. Adam Eaton comes into this matchup batting .274 and he has an OBP of .357. He has 91 hits this year along with 41 runs scored and 27 RBI. He's struck out 61 times and has walked on 33 occasions. Melky Cabrera is hitting .293 and he has an OBP of .344. He has collected 85 hits so far while he's scored 37 runs and drove in 39. He has earned a walk 24 times and has punched out 34 times. The White Sox as a unit have 719 base hits, including 141 doubles and 85 homers. They have 39 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 21 times. Chicago as a team has walked 262 times this year and they have struck out 698 times. They've had 591 men left on base and have an OPS of .716. They score 4.18 runs per game and have totaled 355 runs so far this season.

Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 38-41-6 against the over/under so far this season

The Atlanta Braves are 37-48-0 against the run line so far this season

Chicago White Sox Betting Trends

The Chicago White Sox are 39-43-3 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago White Sox are 42-43-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Atlanta Braves

07/06/16 P Julio Teheran Thigh missed last start, "?" next start
07/01/16 3B Gordon Beckham Hamstring 15-day DL (6/2)
06/28/16 P John Gant Oblique 15-day DL (6/27)
06/20/16 LF Mallex Smith Thumb 15-day DL (6/20)
06/08/16 P Williams Perez Rotator Cuff 15-day DL (6/7)
05/27/16 2B Hector Olivera Suspension 82 game suspension, eligible to return (8/1)
04/12/16 P Daniel Winkler Elbow 15-day DL (4/11)
04/04/16 P Andrew McKirahan Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Paco Rodriguez Elbow out for season
04/04/16 P Shae Simmons Elbow 15-day DL (3/25)

Chicago White Sox

07/05/16 C Alex Avila Hamstring 15-day DL (7/6)
07/01/16 3B Matt Davidson Foot 15-day DL (6/30)
06/21/16 P Zach Putnam Elbow 15-day DL (6/21)
06/10/16 DH Justin Morneau Elbow 15-day DL (6/9)
06/10/16 CF Austin Jackson Knee 15-day DL (6/10)
05/06/16 P Jacob Petricka Hip 60-day DL (5/2)
04/27/16 C Kevan Smith Pelvis 15-day DL (4/24)

Tony's Pick: Take the Braves

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