It’s easy to forget that the MLB season lasts for months and that a lot can happen over the course of 162 games. The teams who are excelling right now could very well be out of the playoff picture, especially when things start to really change in the second half of the season. We all tend to sit back and wait for the moment when the surprise teams in the early part of the season hit the wall and come back to earth, but in the NL East that is not happening yet. The general feeling was that the Washington Nationals, who are one of the MLB Odds favorites to win it all, would simply run away with things, just as they did last year, but we have a couple of surprise front-runners at the top right now.
Something is going to give this week, though, as the Atlanta Braves, the division leaders, are in Philadelphia to face a Phillies team hot on their heels that comes in as the favorite at the latest MLB Lines. Philly drew first blood with a 3-0 win on Monday, with the second game of the series set for Tuesday night.
They are top 3 in quality starts this season with 28, and they go another one from Nick Pivetta last night, as he pitched 7 scoreless innings in a 3-0 win. This is not to suggest that Philly has an anemic offense, as they have still managed 209 runs in the early going, which has them just above the middle of the pack. Vince Velasquez (4-4, 4.37 ERA) will be on the mound for the Phillies.
Atlanta at Philadelphia MLB Odds & Expert Prediction
The #Braves visit the Phillies tonight at 7:05 ET on FOX Sports Southeast, @YouTubeTV, @BravesRadioNet and @680TheFan. https://t.co/cZpLzFbeOY pic.twitter.com/kxG9hipWhb
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) 22 de mayo de 2018
- When: Tuesday, May 22 at 7:05 PM EST
- Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
- Starting Pitchers: Brandon McCarthy vs. Vince Velasquez
- TV: FSSE / NBCSP
- Radio: Atlanta 93.7 FM / Philadelphia 94 WIP
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Odds: Philadelphia Phillies -115 (Over/Under at 8.5)
How to Bet Mariners at A’s MLB Betting Prediction & Game Info
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Runs: Atlanta Braves 5.40 / Philadelphia Phillies 3.30
- Hits: Atlanta Braves 9.40 / Philadelphia Phillies 6.90
- Walks: Atlanta Braves 3.40 / Philadelphia Phillies 5.20
- Strike Outs: Atlanta Braves 7.30 / Philadelphia Phillies 10.10
Why Consider the MLB Odds for the Braves?
Since being swept by the San Francisco Giants a couple of weeks ago, the Braves have since put together a run of 4 straight series wins. There were some who believed that sweep would signal the collapse of what is a very young Braves team. This has proven to be a very resilient group, though, as they continue to maintain a slender lead at the top of the division, sporting a 28-18 record overall. The Braves continue to be top 3 in total runs scored, which was why it as such a surprise to see them blanked on the opening game of this series. The Marlins shut them out in the opening game of their previous series, after which the Braves scored 18 runs in the next two games. This is not an offense you can shut down for long. Brandon McCarthy (4-2, 5.05 ERA) will start for the Braves.Team Statistics
Offense- Runs: 5.28
- Hits: 9.26
- Walks: 3.61
- Strike Outs: 7.67
- Runs: 3.93
- Hits: 7.91
- Walks: 4.26
- Strike Outs: 9.02
Why Consider the MLB Odds for the Phillies?
After years in the wilderness, the Phillies are starting to see all their prospects come good at the same time. The result is a 27-18 record that has them sitting just a half game back of the Braves at the top of the NL East. Where the Braves have seen their bats power them to the top, it is the Phillies pitching staff that is delivering the good.
They are top 3 in quality starts this season with 28, and they go another one from Nick Pivetta last night, as he pitched 7 scoreless innings in a 3-0 win. This is not to suggest that Philly has an anemic offense, as they have still managed 209 runs in the early going, which has them just above the middle of the pack. Vince Velasquez (4-4, 4.37 ERA) will be on the mound for the Phillies.
Team Statistics
Offense- Runs: 4.64
- Hits: 7.93
- Walks: 4.11
- Strike Outs: 9.69
- Runs: 3.80
- Hits: 7.89
- Walks: 3.18
- Strike Outs: 8.69
Latest MLB Betting Trends
- Atlanta is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
- Atlanta is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 6 games
- Philadelphia is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games
- Philadelphia is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Philadelphia’s last 9 games
- McCarthy is 3-1 when starting against Philadelphia with an ERA of 2.50 and a WHIP of 1.334
- Velasquez is 0-4 when starting against Atlanta with an ERA of 4.89 and a WHIP of 1.474
