Braves vs. Cubs Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks: MLB Best Bets for Sept. 1
The Chicago Cubs head back to Wrigley Field following a nine-game West Coast road trip to host the Atlanta Braves, and my Braves vs. Cubs prediction expect it to be “home sweet home” for Chicago.
The Cubs are -120 moneyline betting favorites as I break down this matchup as part of our MLB picks. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. ET.
Though I expect Chicago to win this series opener, I expect it to come in a shootout, and that is why I do not feel conflicted with backing a Braves slugger to stuff the stat sheet today.
⚾ Braves vs. Cubs expert picks & predictions
MLB expert picks made Monday; odds subject to change.
- Moneyline pick: Cubs (-120 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Run line pick: Cubs -1.5 (+180 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐
- Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-120 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
📝 Braves vs. Cubs preview & best bet
Track the latest MLB scores for line movement and matchup info.
🐻 Cubs ML (-120) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chicago has won three of its last four home series, including cooling down the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers before heading on its road trip. The Cubs are also 5-3 in Colin Rea’s last eight home starts, and he remains an underrated starting pitcher to back when he toes the rubber at Wrigley Field.
While I would normally lay off a team coming home and playing the day after such a long road trip, any disadvantage is mitigated by the fact that Atlanta is playing its third consecutive road series and got into Chicago early this morning after playing on Sunday Night Baseball.
Atlanta has many reasons to pin its disappointing season on, but one of the main ones is a team-wide slump and a big drop in run production. The 2023 Braves had MLB’s highest run total (947) in 16 seasons. This year, they are on pace to score just 714 and are nearly in the bottom half of the league in that category.
Cubs backers are getting the best price at bet365, the only one of the best sports betting sites charging less than -124 odds (which carry a 55.36% implied probability). At -120, a $10 winning wager would net $8.33 in profits.
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💰 Best Braves vs. Cubs player prop bet
Our MLB player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.
⬆️ Jurickson Profar Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Braves left fielder Jurickson Profar finished August with a 1.026 OPS. That was the fifth-highest OPS in a single month by any player in their first year with the Braves since 2000 (min. 100 PA).
Rea has been much tougher on right-handed hitters (.233 OBA and .623 OPS) than leftys (.299 OBA and .893 OPS), which bodes well for the switch-hitting Profar’s chances of success.
Profar has gone Over this projected total in six of his last eight games. And with players like Matt Olson and Ronald Acuna Jr. batting behind him that are a combined 5-for-10 in their careers against Rea, he has a great chance to score whenever he gets on base.
Profar’s implied probability to cash this wager is as high as 53.49% based on the -115 odds at the high end of the market. But I am taking advantage of the better -110 price at DraftKings, where a $10 winning wager would return $9.09 in profits.
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📊 Braves vs. Cubs odds: Sept. 1
MLB odds update live in real time.
📈 Braves vs. Cubs betting odds analysis
After opening as -125 betting favorites, only BetMGM has that number remaining, as Chicago’s moneyline odds have dropped as low as -120. FanDuel is also the only sportsbook that differs in its total of 7.5 (juiced -120 to the Over), as all other competitors are at 8.0 (-105 to the Over, -115 to the Under).
🔢 Braves vs. Cubs stats
Season stats courtesy of baseball-reference.com.
| Braves (62-75) | Statistic (per game) | Cubs (78-59) |
|---|---|---|
| 4.41 | Runs | 4.93 |
| 8.31 | Hits | 8.50 |
| .244 | AVG | .250 |
| .394 | SLG | .429 |
| .714 | OPS | .749 |
| 4.31 | ERA | 3.80 |
| 8.58 | K/9 | 7.73 |
| 3.34 | BB/9 | 2.59 |
| 1.20 | HR/9 | 1.23 |
🚑 Braves vs. Cubs injuries
📺 Braves vs. Cubs game info
- When: Monday, Sept. 1
- First pitch: 4:05 p.m. ET
- Where: Wrigley Field (Chicago)
- How to watch: Local TV
💡 Expert MLB predictions today
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❓ Braves vs. Cubs FAQs
Who is favored to win Braves vs. Cubs?
The Cubs are the -120 betting favorite to beat the Braves at home on Monday.
What is the run line for Braves vs. Cubs?
Atlanta’s +1.5 odds are at -220, while Chicago’s -1.5 odds are at +180 on the high end of the market.
What is the Over/Under for Braves vs. Cubs?
The top sports betting sites have the O/U set at 8.0 runs, juiced to -105 to the Over and -115 to the Under.
What are the best bets for Braves vs. Cubs?
My Braves vs. Cubs best bets back Chicago to win, with Jurickson Profar going Over his projected total of combined hits, runs, and RBI.
When is the Braves vs. Cubs game?
The Braves vs. Cubs first pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. ET this afternoon, airing on local television.
How do baseball odds work?
When betting on MLB, the run line shows how many runs the favorite needs to win by in order to cash the bet. For example, a favorite of -1.5 must win by two or more runs to cover the run line, while an underdog at +1.5 must win outright or lose by one run to cover the run line.
Moneyline odds represent the payout for picking the outright winner (+200 means a $100 bet wins $200, while -200 means a $200 bet wins $100). Over/Unders let you wager on whether the combined total of runs will be higher or lower than the set number.
You can determine the payouts and implied probabilities for any wager - or convert odds to different formats - with our odds converter.
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