Sunday, June 12, 2016

Turner Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Jon Lester vs. John Gant

The Chicago Cubs head to Turner Field on Sunday to take on the Atlanta Braves. The probable pitchers are Jon Lester for the Cubs and John Gant for the Braves. The opening line for this game has Chicago at -275 and Atlanta at +250. The over/under is 8. The Cubs have a 29-28-2 over/under mark and a 36-23-0 run line record, meaning they cover 61% of the time. The Braves are 25-35-0 against the run line and have a 26-28-6 over/under record. They cover the spread 42% of the time.

The Cubs head into this game with a 41-18 record, and they are 19-10 on the road. Starting pitcher Jon Lester has a 7-3 record with an ERA of 2.06 and a WHIP of 0.97. He has 78 strikeouts during his 78.2 innings pitched and he has given up 59 hits so far this year. He has surrendered 6.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 2.98. The bullpen this season has an earned run average of 3.28 and they have allowed 115 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .202 against the pen while they've been struck out 165 times and walked 71 times this year. As a unit, Chicago has given up 6.47 base hits per nine innings while striking out 8.99 hitters per nine. They are 1st in the Majors in team earned run average at 2.59. The Cubs pitchers have collectively given up 384 base hits and 157 earned runs. They have allowed 47 home runs this season and they allow 0.8 homers per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 172 batters and struck out 531. They walk 2.9 men per 9 innings while striking out 9 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.05 and their FIP as a unit is 3.34.

As a team, Chicago is hitting .254, good for 13th in the league while putting together a .267 average on the road. The Cubs have a .419 team slugging percentage and an OBP of .348 which is good for 3rd in the league. They rank 14th in baseball with 8.54 hits per contest. Ben Zobrist comes into this game hitting .325 and his on-base percentage is at .435. He has 63 hits this season along with 42 runs scored and 36 runs batted in. He's struck out 29 times and has walked 39 times. Kris Bryant is hitting .279 and he has an on-base percentage of .356. He has totaled 65 hits so far while scoring 44 runs and he's driven in 43. He has walked 23 times and has struck out 60 times. The Cubs have 504 hits, including 103 doubles and 69 home runs. They've stolen 27 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 15 times. Chicago has walked 254 times this season and they've struck out 488 times as a unit. They've left 437 men on base and have a team OPS of .767. They score 5.32 runs per contest and have scored a total of 314 runs so far this year.

Atlanta comes into this game with a 7-23 home mark and a 18-42 overall record. With an ERA of 6.17, John Gant has a 0-0 record and a 1.71 WHIP. He has 14 strikeouts over the 11.2 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 15 hits. He has allowed 11.6 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.5. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 4.30 and they have given up 194 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .247 against the Braves bullpen while being struck out 211 times and walking 96 times this season. As a team, Atlanta has allowed 8.6 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.75 batters per nine. They are 22nd in the league in team earned run average at 4.40. The Braves pitchers as a team have surrendered 516 base knocks and 264 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 65 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Atlanta as a staff has walked 206 hitters and struck out 465. They give up a walk 3.4 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.34 while their FIP as a staff is 4.24.

As a team, they are batting .232, good for 28th in the league while putting together a .227 average at home. The Braves hold a .321 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .297 which is good for 27th in baseball. They rank 27th in baseball with 7.83 hits per contest. Nick Markakis comes into this matchup batting .243 and he has an OBP of .335. He has 53 hits this year along with 19 runs scored and 34 RBI. He's struck out 40 times and has walked on 30 occasions. Freddie Freeman is hitting .247 and he has an OBP of .343. He has collected 54 hits so far while he's scored 27 runs and drove in 18. He has earned a walk 29 times and has punched out 66 times. The Braves as a unit have 470 base hits, including 86 doubles and 25 homers. They have 26 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 16 times. Atlanta as a team has walked 173 times this year and they have struck out 475 times. They've had 425 men left on base and have an OPS of .618. They score 3.13 runs per game and have totaled 188 runs so far this season.

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 29-28-2 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 36-23-0 against the run line so far this season

Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 26-28-6 against the over/under so far this season

The Atlanta Braves are 25-35-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago Cubs

06/11/16 1B Anthony Rizzo Back is upgraded to expected to be in the starting lineup Saturday vs. Atlanta Braves
06/09/16 2B Tommy La Stella Hamstring 15-day DL (6/8)
06/07/16 LF Jorge Soler Hamstring 15-day DL (6/6)
05/18/16 P Joe Nathan Elbow 60-day DL (5/17)
04/08/16 C Kyle Schwarber Knee 60-day DL (4/8); out for season
04/04/16 P Aaron Brooks Hip 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 3B Christian Villanueva Fibula 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Dallas Beeler Shoulder 15-day DL (3/25)
03/31/16 P Zac Rosscup Shoulder 60-day DL (2/25)

Atlanta Braves

06/08/16 P Williams Perez Rotator Cuff 15-day DL (6/7)
06/03/16 P Mike Foltynewicz Elbow 15-day DL (6/1)
06/02/16 3B Gordon Beckham Hamstring 15-day DL (6/2)
05/29/16 SS Erick Aybar Foot 15-day DL (5/28)
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 McKiraha Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Paco Rodrigue Elbow out for season
04/04/16 P Shae Simmons Elbow 15-day DL (3/25)

Tony's Pick: Take the Braves

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