Keep a particularly close eye on the weather at Wrigley Field on Sunday.
The way the 67-49 Chicago Cubs are hitting the ball and the way fact that the best hitter on the 53-66 Atlanta Braves is making his way back into the lineup could make this a screwy game for live bettors.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Of course, if it's a great day for batters, it could be a miserable day for pitchers.
Jason Hammel had enough of a disaster on his hands on Tuesday night, allowing nine hits and five runs, including three homers over just three innings before rain pulled him out of the loss against the Tigers.
Home runs are starting to become a huge problem here for Hammel, as he has 18 big flies conceded this season, including at least one in five consecutive starts.
We pretty much know what we're getting out of rookie Matt Wisler at this point. The righty is going to give up a lot of hits, and his control isn't going to be great, but he isn't going to be bothered by the situation.
Batters are hitting just .242 against Wisler with runners in scoring position, an insanely low number, especially for a rookie.
However, Wisler has allowed at least six hits in eight straight games, and his WHIP has ballooned up to 1.52 in his 11 starts, something live bettors need to be aware of in this game.
ADVANCED STATS
There's no two ways around the fact that the Braves can't hit the ball for power. They have a .112 ISO as a team this year, dead last in the bigs, and their 74 home runs are 11 fewer than anyone else in baseball.
Alas, don't just think that this is a team with no pop in the lineup. Freddie Freeman has had two stints on the disabled list since the middle of June, and that's when Atlanta has really fallen off offensively in the power department.
Freeman has a .848 OPS and a .500 slugging percentage. He only has 14 homers, but he has an ISO of .216, making him the most deadly person in this lineup and the man live bettors need to be most aware of.
TALKING BULLPENS
It finally looks like Travis Wood and the Chicago bullpen have settled down just a bit. Wood, in particular, really has to do a nice job becoming the long man, and for a game like this when Hammel might not be able to get out of the fifth inning or so, having that former starter who can not only eat up a couple innings, but potentially take an at bat as well is priceless.
Picking up Tommy Hunter has been a blessing for this unit. The Cubs are now fifth in the majors in bullpen WAR at 3.8, and they have virtual matching FIP of 3.28 to ERA of 3.24.
In the last month, live bettors have been money wagering on Chicago in the middle of games. The bullpen for the North Siders is 7-3 with 14 saves in 96 innings pitched in the last 30 days with a 3.47 ERA and an even better 2.82 FIP. The runs which are being allowed seem to be of less consequence, and though there are some games where someone gets blown up, for the most part, Joe Maddon has pushed all the right buttons at the right times to get wins locked down, something irreplaceable for live bettors.
The MLB lines for this Sunday contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don't have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here, and deposit at BookMaker now! The ballgame pitting the Atlanta Braves versus the Chicago Cubs will commence Sunday, August 24, 2015 at 2:20 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. You can watch the contest live on WGN.
