Atlanta at Chicago

The Cubs seem to be trying to lose games now. They have lost five straight, eight of nine and 20 of their last 24. Atlanta goes for the series sweep today and should get it with ease with John Smoltz on the mound. Over his last four starts he's gone 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA. He's historically pitched very well against the Cubbies going 15-4 with a 2.91 ERA. Smoltz is 26-7 overall as a favorite and 17-2 vs. teams scoring 4.3 or less runs per game over the past two seasons. He's also 24-3 vs. teams with an OBP of .315 or worse over the past decade. Atlanta pounds in 5.4 runs per game on the road while Chicago is scoring 3.4 per game at home. Bravos for the sweep here.