Oakland Athletics at Atlanta Braves Betting Preview
A brief, two-game series between the Oakland A’s (20-37) and Atlanta Braves (29-27) will conclude on Wednesday. Atlanta will host this one at Truist Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:20 pm ET.
On Tuesday, the Braves were able to take the first game 3-2. In the win, Kyle Wright went eight innings, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out seven.
Offensively, the Braves were benefactors of three solo home runs in the win. Ronald Acuna Jr. hit two of them while Guillermo Heredia hit the third.
For the A’s, Cole Irvin did not pitch bad. He went 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. Unfortunately, the bullpen could not hold it as Lou Trivino gave up the go-ahead run in the seventh.
The A’s managed just five hits on the night. Ramon Laureano’s single in the first plated both of the A’s runs, but they never scored again after that.
The Braves are the overwhelming favorites playing at home. They are -235 to win while the A’s moneyline sits at +194. The runline features Oakland +1.5 (-104), and the over/under for total runs is 8.5.
Oakland Tries To End Skid
With the loss on Tuesday, the Oakland A’s have now lost seven games in a row, putting them in last place in the AL West, 16.5 games behind the first-place Astros. They will try to both end their skid and get back to .500 on the road, where they are currently 13-14.
Taking the mound for the A’s will be 28-year-old Jared Koenig. This will be Koenig’s first-ever appearance in the majors. In triple-A this season, he is 4-2 with a 2.21 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and has 61 strikeouts in 53 innings. Opponents are hitting just .203 against him.
Offensively, the A’s continue to struggle to put up runs. They rank 29th in runs scored (185), 29th in home runs (34), 29th in runs batted in (170), dead last in batting average (.209), and last in OPS (.595).
Leading the struggling offense is Seth Brown. He is hitting just .200/.271/.381, but he has a team-leading five home runs and 23 runs batted in.
Braves Try To Stay Hot
For as cold as the A’s are, the Braves are almost equally as hot. After winning the opener Tuesday, the Braves have now won six games in a row and will look for a seventh in the finale.
Opposing the A’s on Wednesday will be 24-year-old righty Ian Anderson. In 10 games this season, Anderson is 4-3 with a 4.70 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and has 45 strikeouts in 53.2 innings of work.
Anderson picked up the win in his last start, but he wasn’t sharp. He went six innings against the Colorado Rockies, allowing five earned runs on ten hits while striking out nine. In his last three starts, he has allowed a total of 13 earned runs in 17.2 innings.
This is an interesting series for Matt Olson as he squares off with his former club. Traded to Atlanta this past offseason, Olson is hitting .255/.361/.462 with seven home runs, 28 runs batted in, and 22 runs scored in his first season with the Braves.
Over the last week, Ronald Acuna Jr. has really started to take off. In 22 at bats during that time, he is hitting .455/.480/.909 with three home runs, five runs batted in, and seven runs scored. As he showed Tuesday, he can completely carry the Braves when he is hot.
Take The Braves To Win And Cover
These are just two teams heading in completely opposite directions. The A’s have the second-worst record in the American League, while the defending World Series champion Braves have won seven of their last ten and are trending upward.
There is some concern with Ian Anderson on the mound as he hasn’t been particularly sharp as of late. However, with one of the worst offenses in baseball across the field from him, this could be a great opportunity for the righty to get back on track.
It will be interesting to see how Jared Koenig does in his first start, but he is definitely being challenged out of the gates facing the Braves’ stacked lineup.
Atlanta should be able to win this one with relative ease, so don’t hesitate to take them not only winning but covering the -1.5 runline (-115) as well.
