Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago Cubs Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 6/18/2022

Time: 2:20 p.m. ET

Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Where to watch: Bally Sports Southeast, Marquee Sports Network

DraftKings: Braves -165, Cubs +140

BetMGM: Braves -175, Cubs +145

Caesars: Braves -169, Cubs +150

Braves: 37-28

Cubs: 24-40

One thing is for sure about this ridiculous winning streak that the Atlanta Braves are on right now and have been on since the beginning of June. You never really understand the gravitas of of baseball team going on a long winning streak until you fully sit back and realize that not only is the team winning and taking care of teams that they should be beating, but they've been doing it at a dominant rate. Take the three-game series that the Braves just defeated the Washington Nationals on in Washington to begin this six-game road trip. 

We know that the nationals are not good. We know that they are struggling beyond belief and we know that there really is no light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to that organization. But to still put up 27 runs in three games while holding the opposition to jest 11 says a lot about the current state of where the Braves are at right now. 

And you could even go back to the four-game series in Colorado to begin the month of June when they put up 13 runs in the first game of the series and still put up 17 in the final three. Now I'll be at two of those games went into extra innings but still if you are the Braves, and you started the month of June 10 1/2 games back of the New York Mets, and suddenly you are four games back heading into the midway point of the month then something must be going right.

There is only so much you can do when you are playing the game of baseball in the sense that you have to beat the teams that are in front of you. And we will get to see if the Braves can move this winning streak further when they take on the Chicago Cubs this weekend, specifically in the second game of this series on Saturday. 

The Cubs are another one of those teams that have struggled mightily this year and I think we all expected Chicago to take another leap in the sense that they should be a lot better then where they were of last year. It's when the Braves return home for a seven game homestand against the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers will we then see something happen and get to the point where the Braves will be taken seriously as a team that is actually going to contend with the Mets at top of the division or they are going to fall backwards while the Phillies make a potential charge.

As for the Cubs, well they are the Cubs. It is without question one of those rough stretches again where the Cubs just cannot find ways to score and are giving of runs left and right. It boggles my mind that they can look as bad as they have been to this point, but it does not help under any circumstance 2 immediately go from losing three of four to the Cardinals to giving up a grand total of 63 runs in six losses to the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres period to me that is just a bad side of bad baseball and no bright future in sight. And that would be my assessment of the Chicago Cubs in the year of our Lord 2022.

Don't overthink this one period whether the Braves continue the winning streak going into this game or not, Saturday tends to be a good day when it comes to the Braves and I'm going to take Atlanta in a rather easy one. Braves win 8-2

Braves are 45-14 as a road favorite of -125 or more this season.

Braves are 71-37 as a favorite of -150 or higher the past three seasons.

Cubs are 11-24 at home this season.

Braves:
Ronald Acuna Jr. (R) RF
Dansby Swanson (R) SS
Austin Riley (R) 3B
Matt Olson (L) 1B
Travis d'Arnaud (R) C
Marcell Ozuna (R) DH
Adam Duvall (R) LF
Orlando Arcia (R) 2B
Michael Harris II (L) CF
SP - Kyle Wright

Cubs:
Christopher Morel (R) CF
Willson Contreras (R) DH
Patrick Wisdom (R) 3B
Ian Happ (S) LF
Frank Schwindel (R) 1B
Nico Hoerner (R) SS
Yan Gomes (R) C
Jason Heyward (L) RF
Andrelton Simmons (R) 2B
SP - Justin Steele