Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves Prediction and Picks - September 9, 2025
Get into Tuesday night’s National League action on the diamond with our Cubs vs. Braves predictions in the second of three games from Atlanta. The starting pitcher for Chicago (81-62, 2nd in N.L. Central) will be rookie RHP Cade Horton (9-4, 2.78 ERA). Atlanta (64-79, 4th in N.L. East) has lined up RHP Spencer Strider (5-12, 4.97 ERA) as their probable starter. The first pitch from Truist Park is scheduled for 7:15 EST and get more for your money with all of our Free MLB Picks.
(This game was published prior to the conclusion of Monday’s games.)
Offense lagging for Cubs
Coming into this series, the Cubs dropped two straight games and three of their last four, scoring a combined five runs in the losses. They are still five games up on the rest of the pack in the National League Wild Card race. In Sunday’s loss, the 5-9 hitters were a combined 2-for-17 with six strikeouts. Through 143 games, the team had a .249 batting average and .320 OBP with 703 runs scored, fourth most in the N.L. After fouling a ball off of his knee on Saturday, team home run leader Pete Crow-Armstrong returned to the lineup as DH on Monday. The outfielder has 28 home runs, and his 85 RBIs are 11th in the N.L.
Cubs pitching had a tough week last week, allowing at least five runs in four of six games. Over the last half month, the team had a 5.30 ERA over 12 games. Through 143 games, they ranked fifth in the National League with a 3.89 team ERA. They had a 1.20 WHIP and 1,101 strikeouts while opponents hit .242 against them. Chicago’s starting rotation was 57-38 with a 3.86 ERA, the fourth-best mark in the N.L., and their relievers recorded 37 saves and 24 wins while posting a 3.94 ERA over 513.1 innings.
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Starter spotlight
- Twenty-four-year-old Cade Horton makes the 21st start of his career.
- Over his last eight starts, the rookie went 6-1 with a 0.87 ERA.
- Had six or more Ks in four of his last six efforts.
- Allowed two home runs in his last nine starts and 11 all year.
- Threw five nearly perfect innings against Atlanta last Wednesday, allowing only a walk.
Braves pitching crushed over weekend
The Braves have been close to elimination for a while now. They come into this series having lost back-to-back games in which they allowed a combined 28 runs. Over the last 30 days, Atlanta’s pitching staff had a 5.49 ERA, and they allowed 45 home runs over 27 games. This season, the team had a 4.47 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 1,229 strikeouts and opponents were hitting .247 against them. Before Monday’s game, Braves’ starters were 37-53 with a 4.56 ERA while the bullpen had 27 wins, 28 saves and a 4.34 ERA.
Starter spotlight
- Spencer Strider, originally scheduled to pitch on Monday, was bumped to this game, where he’s making his 20th start of the year.
- Went 1-5 with a 7.75 ERA over his last seven starts.
- Struck out three batters or less in five of his last six starts.
- Teams have hit 18 home runs against the righty and drawn 41 walks.
- Strider faced the Cubs last Monday and allowed three runs, five hits and three walks over five innings.
Atlanta’s offense scored two runs apiece in each of their last two games, though they would have needed a whole lot more to even be close in either loss. In the last 15 days, over the span of 14 games, the Braves' offense hit .243 and struck out 114 times. Their 1,237 strikeouts are the fourth most in the National League. Through 144 games. They had a .244 team average with 629 runs. Matt Olson was tied for first in the league with 36 doubles but was also tied for sixth with 158 strikeouts. The Braves' first baseman hit .311 over his last 23 games, with 10 extra base hits, 10 walks, eight RBIs and 13 runs.
Cubs vs. Braves Pick
Spread Pick for Cubs vs. Braves
- Cubs -102 (5 units)
The first series between these two was exactly one week ago, the Cubbies took two of three. The Braves are not playing for anything at this point and they can’t do a whole lot to spoil Chicago’s chances, though they could knock them down a peg. However, this won’t be that game. Not with this pitching matchup. Strider has been dreadful for much of the season. Teams are hitting .286 against him at Truist Field, where he had a 3-6 record and 4.81 ERA in nine starts. The Cubs hit .258 on the road, the second-best mark in the N.L. They also have one of the best pitchers in the game over the past two months, Horton, starting the game. On average, he surrendered just 2.8 hits over his last eight starts. The rookie was inexplicably removed from a no-hit bid against the Braves in his last outing, despite only throwing 75 pitches, but let’s put that in the win as well for this game as the Cubs’ hurler is a bit more rested now.
Take the Cubs.
Over/Under Pick for Cubs vs. Braves
- Under 8.5 (4 units)
When they met last week, the teams combined to average 8.7 runs per game. That number was a bit inflated by a 13-run series opener in Chicago. The total split, 1-1-1, in that series. Atlanta is a bit of a double-edged sword here, given the momentum that both their pitching staff and offense have. For the pitching, it’s bad, having back-to-back double-digit runs put up against you. But, their offense only scored two runs, so they aren’t doing a whole lot to chip in to any totals. They were stymied by Horton last week, and I don’t see them figuring that out all of a sudden. Atlanta scored three runs or less in six of their last eight games. Chicago’s offense tallied four runs or less in four of its last five games. The under is 8-2 in the last ten meetings prior to the start of this series.
Take the under.
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