Sports Betting Picks

Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview

Although the start to the 2020 MLB season was far from normal, largely thanks to the absence of fans at games, there has still been plenty of action worth talking about and multiple teams who have made headlines for various reasons. Specifically, the race in the National League East has been more than a bit attention-grabbing, thanks in part to two teams who will meet on Sunday night – the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

The Braves sit atop the NL East with an 18-14 record through the start of the season, while the Phillies are tied for second with the surprising Miami Marlins at 14-14. Although there’s not much in terms of a home-field advantage currently in MLB, there are still spots that jump out when evaluating games from a betting perspective.

The Braves have been excellent at home with a 12-4 mark but struggle on the road, holding just a 6-10 record away from their home stadium. This stat has proven to be noteworthy through two games in Philadelphia during this current series, as the Phillies have won 7-4 and 4-1. Their attention now shifts to picking up the series sweep on Sunday night.

Betting Odds, Prediction And Pick

  • Betting odds: Atlanta Braves +123 vs. Philadelphia Phillies -133
  • Total: 10
  • Pitchers: Huascar Ynoa (0-0, 4.32 ERA) vs. Jake Arrieta (2-3, 4.32 ERA)

The Phillies enter this game playing great baseball of late, winning five straight games, including three against the Braves. This stretch came at an ideal time, as the Phillies dropped five in a row prior to the current winning streak. Over that stretch, Philly has had a few strong pitching performances, including one from Jake Arrieta, who’ll take the mound on Sunday.

In Arrieta’s last start, a matchup with the Washington Nationals, he went five innings while allowing just three hits and one earned run. Arrieta managed only one strikeout, but also faced the Braves back in early August and threw a gem while giving up just three hits over six innings and striking out six.

The Braves will hand the ball to 22-year-old right-hander Huascar Ynoa, who’s seen action in just four games this season, throwing 8 1/3 innings. Over that stretch, he’s allowed nine hits, four earned runs and walked six batters while tallying six strikeouts. There’s no question that Ynoa is going to have his work cut out for him against a surging Phillies team.

It’s tough not to hop on board with the Phillies, especially when factoring in how well they’ve played as of late. There are obviously looming questions about how Ynoa will do against this Philadelphia offense as well.

Although I don’t entirely trust Arrieta to stop this Braves offense completely in its tracks, I do think Philadelphia’s offense is going to be too much on Sunday night in a nationally televised matchup on ESPN.

Expect a strong showing from the Phillies offensively, and it’ll be enough to wrap up the series with another victory.

Pick: Philadelphia Phillies -133

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