Explore Braves vs Cubs Expert Picks and Betting Tips – 9/2/25

Atlanta Braves

@

Chicago Cubs

As the Chicago Cubs host the Atlanta Braves on September 2, 2025, at Wrigley Field, both teams are coming off a tightly contested matchup. The Cubs edged out the Braves 7-6 yesterday, showcasing their offensive prowess. Currently, the Cubs stand at 79-59, solidifying their position as a competitive force in the National League, while the Braves languish at 62-76, struggling to find their footing.

The matchup features two left-handed pitchers: Shota Imanaga for the Cubs and Joey Wentz for the Braves. Imanaga, who has been a solid contributor this season with an ERA of 3.08 and a Power Rankings position of 71st among MLB starters, is projected to pitch an average of 5.4 innings today. His ability to limit walks—recording a BB% of just 4.9—will be crucial against a Braves offense that ranks 3rd in the league for drawing walks. However, projections suggest he may allow a concerning 4.9 hits today.

Conversely, Wentz has faced challenges this season, with a higher ERA of 4.92 and a ranking among the worst pitchers in the league. Despite a recent strong outing where he allowed just 1 earned run over 7 innings, his projections indicate a difficult matchup against a Cubs offense that ranks 9th overall in MLB and is particularly adept at making contact.

With the Cubs projected to score 4.79 runs today, they enter as significant favorites with a moneyline of -175. Given their superior offensive and pitching metrics, they are positioned to take advantage of the Braves’ struggles. As the Cubs aim to build on their recent success, they look to extend their winning streak against a Braves team that has found it tough to compete this season.

Atlanta Braves Insights

• Atlanta Braves – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (+135)
  Joey Wentz projects for an average of 3.02 earned runs in this game, as forecasted by the leading projection system (THE BAT X).
  Explain: THE BAT X is a highly sophisticated projection system that accounts for a multitude of factors like ballpark, weather, umpire, defense, and more.
• Ozzie Albies – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-135/+105)
  Ozzie Albies has primarily hit in the back-half of the batting order this season (57% of the time), but he is projected to bat 4th in the lineup in this matchup.
  Explain: The higher in the order a player bats, the more plate appearances he will get and the more opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits higher in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting lower.
• Ozzie Albies – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+130/-170)
  Ozzie Albies pulls a high percentage of his flyballs (41% — 99th percentile) and is a great match for the park considering he’ll be hitting them towards baseball’s 6th-shallowest LF fences in today’s game.
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.

Chicago Cubs Insights

• Shota Imanaga – Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts (+125/-160)
  Shota Imanaga’s slider rate has risen by 7.7% from last season to this one (7.7% to 15.4%) .
  Explain: Because sliders are one of the most effective pitches to use, a pitcher who alters his pitch mix to use more of them will often see more success as a result.
• Ian Happ – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+140/-180)
  Ian Happ has seen a significant improvement in his exit velocity recently; just compare his 96.1-mph average in the last week to his seasonal 89.5-mph figure.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
• Chicago Cubs – Moneyline (-175)
  The 5th-best projected offense of all teams on the slate in terms of overall hitting skill belongs to the Chicago Cubs.
  Explain: A pitcher who faces a strong opposing offense will be more likely to underperform his usual performance, particularly in terms of hits and runs, in that game.

Betting Trends

• Chicago Cubs – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (-175)
  The Chicago Cubs have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline in 25 of their last 44 games at home (+13.05 Units / 17% ROI)
• Over/Under 8.5 Game Total (-110/-110)
  The Atlanta Braves have hit the Game Total Over in 31 of their last 54 games (+8.90 Units / 15% ROI)
• Kyle Tucker – Over/Under 0.5 RBIs (+165/-215)
  Kyle Tucker has hit the RBIs Under in 20 of his last 25 games (+11.35 Units / 21% ROI)