The MLB regular season ends on Sunday, and the Chicago Cubs are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second NL Wild Card. It won’t be easy for the Cubs as their remaining six games of the season are with NL East winner Atlanta and NL Central Division leader Milwaukee.
Cubs Head to Atlanta
Chicago has Monday off before heading to Atlanta for a three-game series with the Braves. The Cubbies are coming off a three-game sweep over Colorado in their final regular season series at home and hold a 2-1 season series lead over the Braves. Cubs 3B Patrick Wisdom had this to say to reporters about what lies ahead for the Cubs;
“We’ve got six games in the regular season left, and we’re going to take it game by game,” Wisdom said. “I think momentum is crucial. I don’t think we ever lost sight of that confidence, especially during that little uneasy patch, that’s baseball. But getting back on the horse and having the sweep here at home builds that momentum.”
Cubs vs. Braves Betting Analysis
The Cubs are taking that momentum into Tuesday’s contest with the Braves. The Cubs are +124 underdogs to win Tuesday’s series opener. Chicago will send out its ace, Justin Steele (16-5, 3.00), while Atlanta plans for Bryce Elder (12-4, 3.63) to take the mound.
Steele is the second favorite (+1000) to win the NL Cy Young Award, and he’s 1-0 against the Braves this season. He scattered eight hits with three earned runs over 5.1 frames in a 6-4 victory over Atlanta on August 6 but has surrendered six earned runs in each of his previous two starts, along with 13 earned runs over his past 30 frames on the bump.
The Cubs lefty has pitched well on the road but has surrendered 15 earned runs over his last 29 away innings. Steele is up against the best offense in baseball against left-handed pitching and the most runs scored at home in the NL this season.
Elder has been strong for Atlanta, but the Cubs seem to have a fondness for him, scoring five earned runs with a pair of bombs over 4.1 innings in August. Elder has yielded just eight earned runs over his past 30 innings at Truist Park. He’ll face a Cubs offense with the third most runs scored in the NL against righties, with the NL’s eighth most runs scored as the away team this season.
It’s difficult to bet against a Cy Young candidate, especially as the underdog, and my best bet is Cubs +124 at DraftKings Illinois to win this game.
Steele has been shaky over his last two outings, but he’s the Cubs ace, and I expect him to pitch well Tuesday evening. Chicago has everything to play for; they have their ace on the mound, and the Cubbies offense battered Elder in August and have scored 29 runs over their last five.
The Braves have the best offense in baseball, but Chicago is in a must-win situation, and I believe Steele will get the best of the big Atlanta bats Tuesday evening. Take the Cubs (+124) moneyline at DraftKings.
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