As we head down the stretch towards the end of the MLB regular season, the task at hand for the teams currently sitting in playoff spots seems rather simple. The goal now is to maintain the pace that has taken them to the top, which very means making the most of games played at home. That is particularly true when those games come against teams who have long since been eliminated from playoff contention. Taking care of those teams and winning when expected is often enough to keep a division leader out in front with time ticking down on the season.

That is the task that the Atlanta Braves will be looking to complete, as they head into Wednesday night with another game against the floundering Miami Marlins. These two are separated by a mile in the standings, so it is perhaps no surprise that the Braves have totally dominated their regular season series with the Marlins. Atlanta will be looking to keep that going when they face them at home on Wednesday night as a 1 ½ run favorite. The run total for this game has been set at 9 ½.

How to Bet Marlins vs Braves MLB Spread & Expert Pick

• When: Wednesday August 21 at 7:20 PM EST
• Where: SunTrust Park, Atlanta
• Starting Pitchers: Smith vs. Teheran
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Radio: 680 The Fan
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Spread: Atlanta Braves -1.5 (Total 9.5)

Tigers vs Astros MLB Week 21 Lines & Pick for Wednesday Night

Weather Forecast

• Mostly Sunny: 32°C/90°F
• Humidity: 47%
• Precipitation: 0%
• Cloud Cover: 29%
• Wind: 6 mph SW
• Stadium Type: Open

Why bet on the Miami Marlins?

There should be no baseball fan out there who finds themselves stunned at how the Marlins have performed. This was a team expected to struggle, which has indeed been the case. The Marlins come into this game with a miserable 20-40 road record, which takes them to 45-79 overall. It’s not the worst record in the MLB this season, but it is certainly a sign that the Marlins have some way to go before they are to be taken seriously again.

The opening game of this series went on Tuesday night, with the Marlins falling to a 5-1 defeat, which takes them to just 4-13 SU versus the Braves this season. Miami are on a 4-game losing skid and just 2-8 in their last 10 games overall, but they are also 0-10 in their last 10 road outings. They will have Caleb Smith (8-6, 3.63 ERA) on the mound on Wednesday.

Team Stats

Offense

• Runs: 3.68
• Hits: 8.12
• Walks: 2.34
• Strike Outs: 8.98

Defense

• Runs: 4.87
• Hits: 8.16
• Walks: 3.77
• Strike Outs: 8.63

Why bet on the Atlanta Braves?

The Atlanta Braves are slowly but surely closing in on their second consecutive NL East Division title, with the win on Tuesday night versus the Marlins pushing their lead to 6 games. This is an opportunity for the Braves to put some real pressure on the Washington Nationals in second, as every win at this stage of the season makes it that much tougher for the Nationals to close the gap.

Having taken 13 of 17 from the Marlins this year, you would certainly like the Braves to keep the good times rolling. They are now 7-3 in their last 10 games and took their home record to 37-27 with the Tuesday win. As a home favorite, Atlanta is just 24-32 ATS. They will hand the ball to Julio Teheran (7-8, 3.71 ERA) for this one.

Team Stats

Offense

• Runs: 5.38
• Hits: 9.12
• Walks: 3.63
• Strike Outs: 8.81

Defense

• Runs: 4.89
• Hits: 9.05
• Walks: 3.64
• Strike Outs: 8.56

Phillies vs Red Sox MLB Odds, Game Info & Prediction

Marlins vs Braves MLB Betting Trends

• Marlins are 0-10 SU in their last 10 games on the road
• The total has gone OVER in 13 of Miami’s last 20 games played in August
• Braves are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games at home
• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 8 games played on a Wednesday
• Marlins are 9-40 against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons
• Braves are 75-52 against the money line in all games this season
• Smith is 1-2 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.73 and a WHIP of 1.455
• Teheran is 9-6 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.255

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Marlins vs Braves

Calen Smith has been one of the lone bright spots for the Marlins this season, so they certainly have a shot at winning with him on the mound. That said, I think they will still come up just a little short, as I like the Braves to extend their win streak to 4.

Score: Miami Marlins 4 – Atlanta Braves 5