Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview/Prop Picks

The Atlanta Braves begin their series against the Philadelphia Phillies today. Atlanta, with a record of 42-32, currently ranks second in the NL East. In order to continue their climb, they’ll need to beat the teams that also are in that division.

The Phillies are one of those teams, following closely behind them. However, the Braves are coming off a tough 5-3 loss to LA. 

With a record of 39-35, the Phillies are third in the NL East. Unfortunately for them, Bryce Harper will be out for some time due to a thumb injury.

With one of their best hitters sidelined, the Phillies have their work cut out for them tonight. The question is, can they win this game without him? They did earn an 8-5 victory over the San Diego Padres just a few nights ago.

Atlanta Braves: Morton will take the mound after a tough loss

The good thing about the Braves is that they’re familiar with bouncing back from a loss. Even during their series against the Dodgers, they at least won a game.

At the plate is really where the Braves excel, with a team batting average of .247. Although they only rank 11th in this category, they rank first in slugging percentage (.439). Keep that in mind for tonight’s game.

At the plate tonight for the Braves is Charlie Morton, who is 4-3 as a starter. Morton’s ERA of 4.84 isn’t very impressive, but it should get the job done.

Most of this game will be up to the Braves batters. It’s up to Morton to make sure the game doesn’t get too out of hand tonight. Over the course of 74.1 innings, Morton has thrown 86 strikeouts and has allowed 69 hits.

Philadelphia Phillies: Phillies lead this game in terms of pitching

With Zack Wheeler on the mound tonight, the Phillies will receive a lot of stability to start the game. Wheeler has an ERA of 2.77 this season, one of the most impressive ERAs there is.

His record of 6-4 is also fairly impressive. The biggest question that we have is how will the Phillies fare without Harper. Harper is a long-ball threat that the Braves won’t have to worry about.

The Phillies still have a few good hitters, though, with a team batting average of .247. Kyle Schwarber leads the team in home runs with 21. However, Schwarber has a batting average of .219 this season.

Harper still holds the best average on the team at .318; losing him was a significant blow to Philadelphia. So, between these two teams, who’s the best bet tonight?

Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies Betting Pick

When looking at these teams, a few things stand out to us. For starters, the Braves have a sizable advantage at the plate tonight.

The other is the Phillies having an edge when it comes to the starting pitcher. However, due to the fact that the Braves are 5-2 against the Phillies in the last seven meetings, we’ll take Atlanta. 

The Braves batters will likely have another strong game tonight, which will help SP Charlie Morton. With the Phillies missing Bryce Harper, they’ll lose their best batter again tonight.

Along with taking the Braves at -102, we’ll also add on the over. The total has gone over in five of Atlanta’s last six games against an NL East opponent. 

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Atlanta Braves -102, OVER

Prop Picks

Atlanta (-125) OVER 3.5 Runs

Atlanta is averaging 4.74 runs per 9 innings on offense, which ranks No. 9 in the league, with a team OPS of .752, which ranks No. 4. Scores have gone OVER in five of Braves’ last seven road games.

With Dunkel predicting an Atlanta road victory by the score of 5-4, take the Braves (-125) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 3.5 runs against the Phillies.

Dansby Swanson (+105) OVER 0.5 Runs Scored

Swanson has scored 48 runs in 74 games this season, which is ranked No. 1 on the Braves and tied for No. 9 in MLB. The veteran shortstop has scored 3 runs in 17 at-bats with a BA of .588 so far against the Phillies.

With Dunkel predicting an Atlanta win while going OVER its team run total, take Swanson (+105) to finish OVER 0.5 runs scored against Philadelphia.

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All Media on this page by Associated Press.