The MLB betting board has 15 games this Sunday but only one game at night, an NL matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs. Both teams are below .500 so far this season and have split the first two games in this three-game series with the Cubs winning 13-4 last night.
The Cubs are -135 favorites with the total set at 9 for this game which will take place at historic Wrigley Field. Here are our best free Braves vs. Cubs picks and predictions for Sunday, April 18, with the first pitch at 7:08 p.m. ET.
Braves vs Cubs odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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MLB sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonPointsBet USA pegged the Cubs as -135 favorites this morning and by early this afternoon moved to -145, where the moneyline stands at 4:20 p.m. ET. "Fifty-nine percent of bets and 65 percent of money on Chicago," PointsBet's Wyatt Yearout said. The total hasn't budged off 9 (Under -120), with ticket count 3/1 and money just beyond 2/1 on the Under.
Check out the full line movement for this gameBraves vs Cubs betting preview
Starting pitchers
Bryse Wilson (2020: 1-0, 4.02 ERA): Wilson will make his season debut after being recalled from the Braves alternate training site on Saturday. The 23-year-old had a 4.02 ERA with a 1.72 WHIP through 15 2-3 innings last year. He did pitch very well in an NLCS start where he held the Dodgers to just one hit through six innings of work
Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 3.00 ERA): Hendricks missed his scheduled start against the Brewers last week because he felt under the weather but is expected to toe the rubber tonight. The right-hander struggled in his season opener versus the Pirates but bounced back with an excellent performance against Milwaukee, where he went six scoreless innings and fanned six batters.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Braves: Ozzie Albies 2B (Questionable), Ender Inciarte OF (Out), Chris Martin RP (Out).
Cubs: Ryan Tepera RP (Out), Jonathan Holder RP (Out), Rowan Wick RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 17-5-1 in the Cubs' last 23 home games. Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Cubs.
Moneyline pick
The Cubs are coming off a big win against the Braves on Saturday, where their dormant bats finally came alive in belting six home runs. But their key to winning today lies in the pitching arm of Hendricks.
The righty has been one of Chicago's most dependable starters since making his major league debut in 2014 and is coming off a year where he went 6-5 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. Hendricks has been downright dominant at home over the last two seasons, going 10-4 with a 2.00 ERA and a WHIP of 0.84 in 20 starts at Wrigley Field.
The Braves will give the ball to Wilson, who exceeded expectations with his postseason performance against the Dodgers last year. But Wilson is still just 23-years-old and has a 5.91 ERA with a 1.81 WHIP in 42 2-3 career innings.
Although Chicago has struggled at the plate this season, their bullpen has looked solid with Cubs relievers pitching to a 3.31 ERA with an opponent batting average of .191. With the Braves going just 7-18 in their last 25 games as an underdog on the road, back the home side with the superior pitching.
PREDICTION: Cubs (-135)
Over/Under pick
Despite erupting for 13 runs last night, the Cubs still rank dead-last in the majors in scoring with 3.44 runs per game and a .184 batting average. That number was an even more embarrassing 2.62 runs per game before yesterday's contest.
Although the Braves have some big-name sluggers like Ronald Acuna Jr. and Freddie Freeman they rank just 21st in the majors with a .225 batting average. They have also struggled to score on the road, plating just 3.25 runs per game.
The Cubs have cashed the Under in six of Hendricks' last seven starts. The only game in that span that went Over the total saw just eight combined runs scored for Chicago and Pittsburgh but the O/U had been set at a very low 6.5.
With the Under going 5-1 in Atlanta's last six games as an underdog — and also a commanding 17-5-1 in the Cubs' last 23 games at Wrigley Field — expect this game to go below the total.
PREDICTION: Under 9 (-120)
Braves vs Cubs betting card
- Cubs (-135)
- Under 9 (-120)
Picks made on 4.18/2021 at 10:44 a.m. ET
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