ATLANTA (Interstat) — The first-place Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves meet Wednesday night at Truist Park, with the Braves holding a half-game lead atop the National League standings.

First pitch is set for 7:20 p.m. under clear skies with temperatures around 66 degrees.

Left-hander Shota Imanaga (4-2) is scheduled to start for Chicago. The Cubs have not announced a corresponding move for JR Ritchie (1-0), who is also listed as a probable. Imanaga will look to bounce the Cubs back after a 5-2 loss to Atlanta on Tuesday night, Chicago’s second straight defeat following a sweep at Texas over the weekend.

The Braves counter with right-hander Bryce Elder, who has been dominant of late. Over his last two starts, Elder allowed one earned run across 11 2/3 innings, striking out 17. He earned wins at Seattle and at Los Angeles, where he threw 5 2/3 shutout innings with eight strikeouts against the Dodgers on May 10.

Wednesday’s matchup features two of the league’s best records. The Cubs enter at 27-14; the Braves are 28-13.

A key player to watch for Chicago is right-hander Jameson Taillon, who took a hard-luck loss Sunday at Texas despite allowing one earned run over 5 1/3 innings. Taillon has won four of his last five starts and owns a 2.84 ERA over that span. He will not start Wednesday but remains a rotation anchor.

For Atlanta, Elder is the focal point. The 27-year-old has a 1.93 ERA over his last four outings and has held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in five of his six starts this season.

The Cubs’ offense struggled Tuesday after a 10-inning win over Cincinnati on May 6 that capped a four-game sweep of the Reds. Chicago has scored two runs or fewer in three of its last four games. Atlanta, conversely, has won seven of its last nine and is averaging 5.6 runs over that span.

Interstat’s game simulator projects an 8-6 Cubs victory, though the ELO system gives Atlanta a 50.1% probability to win. Chicago is installed as a -1.5 run-line favorite, with the over/under at 8.5.

The teams continue the series Thursday before diverging schedules: Chicago visits the White Sox for a three-game Crosstown Classic set, while Atlanta hosts Boston for a weekend series at Truist Park.