After taking the series lead with a 10-2 win on Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies (2-1) will look to finish off their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves (1-2), at home on Thursday. Read ahead for a preview of this matchup including the Braves vs Phillies odds.
Braves vs. Phillies Picks
MLB Pick: Braves to win this one on the road (-145).
Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies Odds
Braves vs. Phillies Information
Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies
Location of the game: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date & Time: Thursday, October 12. 8:07 pm ET.
How to watch: National – TBS | TBS-INT
Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview
Looking at the MLB schedule, the Phillies have won two of the first three contests in this best-of-five series. After splitting the two games in Atlanta, Philadelphia dominated at home in Game 3.
In the victory, the Phillies hit six home runs, including two apiece from Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos. Harper ended the night with four runs batted in. On the mound, Aaron Nola picked up the win after allowing two earned runs in 5.2 innings of work.
As for the Braves, their top five hitters combined to go 9 for 22, but they only got one hit from anyone else in the lineup. The real story was the pitching, as starter Bryce Elder lasted just 2.2 innings, allowing six earned runs.
The Road to the NLCS
As National League East rivals, the Braves and Phillies finished first and second in the MLB standings, respectively. These two division rivals are now battling for a date with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS.
Offensively, the Braves lead all MLB teams in scoring, averaging 5.80 runs per game. As for the Phillies, they rank eighth, averaging 4.90 runs per game (5.17 at home).
In regards to the MLB injury report, the Braves are without pitchers Charlie Morton (finger), Collin McHugh (shoulder), and Kyle Wright (shoulder). The Phillies are without slugger Rhys Hoskins (ACL).
Starting Pitchers
It is always imperative to take a look at the day’s starters before making your MLB picks.
Braves Turn To Ace In Must Win Game
With the season on the line, manager Brian Snitker will hand the ball to 24-year-old phenom Spencer Strider in the Atlanta Braves game today. Looking at his regular season MLB player stats, he was 20-5 this year with a 3.86 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, and he had 281 strikeouts in 186.2 innings.
Despite taking the loss in Game 1, Strider pitched well. He went seven innings, allowing two earned runs (one earned) on just five hits. He also struck out eight in the outing.
Phillies Turn To Lefty Ranger Suarez
Philadelphia will send 28-year-old southpaw Ranger Suarez to the bump on Thursday. In 22 MLB games this season, his stats show that he went 4-6 with a 4.18 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, and he had 119 strikeouts in 125 innings.
Like Strider, Suarez got the start in Game 1. He went 3.2 innings, allowing no earned runs on one hit while striking out four.
Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies Picks and Predictions
After analyzing the Braves vs Phillies odds, take the Braves to win this one on the road (-145).
Despite what will be a raucous crowd at Citizen Bank Park on Thursday, Spencer Strider has the ability to quiet the stadium with his dominance. While the Phillies got to him for two runs in the first game, don’t expect them to have much success Thursday.
In fact, during the regular season, Strider was much better on the road (12-2, 3.36 ERA) than at home (8-3, 4.35 ERA).
As for Ranger Suarez, he struggled mightily when pitching at home this season (1-3, 5.45 ERA) compared to on the road (3-3, 2.75 ERA).
The Phillies can’t be taken lightly, but the Braves are just too good of a club, especially with Strider on the mound.
- For those reasons, take the Phillies to win straight up (-145) and for the under 8.5 runs to hit (+100).
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