Atlanta Braves vs Miami Marlins Betting Preview

The Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves have been playing well of late, with the difference being that the Braves are in playoff contention while the Marlins most certainly are not. On Monday, Miami and Atlanta open their latest series between NL East rivals. And while both teams will look to continue their recent hot streaks, the Braves will have just a little more to play for in this series.

Braves Playing Incredible Baseball

There might not be a hotter team in Major League Baseball right now than the Atlanta Braves, who have won 10 of their last 12 contests. Those wins came in series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and the Washington Nationals. Their hot streak has put them into first place in the NL East standings, with Atlanta having a golden opportunity to stay there if they can beat the lowly Marlins.

Atlanta enters this series with the Marlins a game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the division. This is significant, as failure to finish atop the division would put the Braves in the Wild Card race, where teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres currently hold superior records.

The intriguing Touki Toussaint will take the mound for the Braves in this series-opening matchup, with Toussaint being somewhat up and down through his first few starts. He is allowing over a baserunner an inning but is also averaging over a strikeout an inning. Against a Marlins lineup that has been hitting well of late, Toussaint will need to perform at or near his best to pick up his second win of the season.

Marlins On a Winning Streak Of Their Own

The terms “Marlins” and “winning streak” haven’t exactly gone together over the last few years, but that is exactly what is happening lately for Miami. After taking the final game of their series against the San Diego Padres, the Miami Marlins earned a three-game sweep against the Chicago Cubs. While their chances at playoff contention disappeared a long time ago, building on their streak against the rival Braves would be a huge morale boost heading down the stretch.

For Miami, Braxton Garrett is set to get the start for the seventh time this season for Miami. So far this year, Garrett has gone over five innings just once, as his WHIP of 1.71 makes it hard to keep him out there too long. If Garrett can avoid giving out free passes via the walk, he could elongate this particular outing against the Atlanta Braves, who will make Garrett pay if he doesn’t have his best control.

Braves Should Handle Their Business

Right now, the Braves are playing extremely well, while the Marlins’ recent surge isn’t as impressive as it looks on paper. The Marlins just swept a Cubs team that was a major seller at the trade deadline, which is not indicative of future success.

Expect the Braves to remain atop their division with a big win in Miami on Monday.

Braves vs. Marlins Pick: Braves -1.5