There are a ton of handicapping services out there who will deliver you their lock of the week for a usually hefty price. I have no idea how often these picks actually come up, but I have to say that I am just not a fan of making such bold statements as essentially guaranteeing a win. There are too many factors that come into play when looking at each individual game, although there are a few that often end up looking like comfortable wins for one team or another. If I had to pick one of those for Friday, it would be the game that see the Atlanta Braves head into iconic Wrigley Field for a matinee match-up versus the Chicago Cubs. These are a pair of teams that are heading in very different directions, with the Cubs looking like the team to beat in the early going. You can check the updated pro baseball odds for this one at MyBookie.ag.
How To Bet The Braves vs Cubs MLB Odds, TV & Game Info
When: Friday, April 29 at 2:20 PM EST
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago
Starting Pitchers: Braves: Aaron Blair (0-1) vs Cubs: Jon Lester (2-1)
TV: FSSO, CSN
MLB Odds: TBA
Why bet on the Atlanta Braves
Heading into Thursday, the Braves (4-17) are looking at being on the wrong end of yet another sweep. Unbelievably, if they lose to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, the Braves will already have taken 5 sweeps this season, which is almost unbelievable. We knew that this team wasn’t going to be very good heading into this season, but this is a huge fall from grace for a franchise that was one of the best in the league for a long, long time. Yes, they are committed to rebuilding ahead of their move into a new stadium, but you still have to believe that fans deserve better than this. Pitching, particularly from the bullpen, has been an issue for the Braves in the opening few weeks, and that is bad news for a team about to face one of the most potent line-ups in the league. Aaron Blair (0-1, 5.06 ERA) will get the start.
Why bet on the Chicago Cubs
The Cubs (15-5) were perhaps the best story from last season, and they look set to write a whole new chapter this year. We all believed that the Cubs would be a little better this season, but I don’t think anyone believed that they would make a leap this big. The young Cubs are not just beating their opponents; they are absolutely blowing them away. Just 20 games into the season and the Cuba already have a run differential of +69, which could well get a whole lot higher with series against the Brewers and Braves over the next few days. Jon Lester (2-1, 1.98 ERA) has been moved to start this one after his last scheduled start versus the Brewers was postponed.
My Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
I’m not quite prepared to call this one my lock of the week, but you have to like the Cubs to easily handle the struggling Braves, who are currently on an 8-game skid.
Atlanta Braves 2 Chicago Cubs 6
