The two best teams in the National League will square off in Atlanta on Thursday when the Chicago Cubs (78-54) visit the Braves (74-58) as small road underdogs at sportsbooks. Both teams are coming off losses on Wednesday, but Chicago is still leading the NL Central by 4.5 games with Atlanta up 3.5 in the East.
MLB betting line: The Braves opened as -136 favorites (wager $136 to win $100); the total is at eight runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)
MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 5.