Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago Cubs Odds & Betting Picks: July 8th 2009

Atlanta Braves @ Chicago Cubs o9.0 (-120) - Wed July 8th 2009 2:20p
visit Touthouse.com for more MLB betting picks and odds from Mike Rose

Getting the starting nod for the 16th time this season will be 34-year old rookie right-hander Kenshin Kawakami. He was a bit rusty on eight-days rest his last time out against Washington where he surrendered six hits and four earned runs while striking out six and walking three through just 4.1 innings of work. Kawakami can best be described as a hurler with great stuff, but control seems to be an issue. He’s K’d 64 batters on the year through 82.2 total innings of work, but he’s also walked 34. He’s been at his worst as a visitor where he’s 2-3 with a 5.65 ERA and 1.77 WHIP with a K/BB ratio of 25/21. He faced the Cubs offense at the beginning of June and got thrashed, but got the no decision after the Braves pulled off some late inning heroics to tie it up and eventually win in extras.

Righty Kevin Hart makes his MLB debut as a starter this afternoon after Ryan Dempster was put on the DL just hours before his Tuesday night scheduled start. He’s given up a total of one run and three hits with a K/BB ratio of 1/5 through 5 2/3rd innings of relief this season. He did make his final six appearances at Iowa as a starter and went 3-0 with a 1.41 ERA during that stretch.

Neither offense has settled into a groove throughout the first two games of this series, but I look for that to change in this afternoon’s finale. Kawakami is wild at best, and Hart is making his big league debut as a starter. A much weaker line-up got to Kawakami in Atlanta the lone time they faced him this season, and I look for more of the same today. Chicago should put a juicy number on the scoreboard. I also look for Hart to struggle as well. With Joyce’s tight strike zone behind the dish (61.3% K’s per game/1.6 K/BB), look for both offenses to have numerous scoring opportunities early on; I’m betting they cash them in!!!