Two contenders in the National League face off on Sunday Night Baseball with the Atlanta Braves hosting the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies are currently in fourth place in the NL East, sitting two games under .500 after starting the season relatively slow. The Braves, who are in first, have dealt with a lot of injuries to their rotation, but they have one pitcher who has been money all season.
Spencer Strider (4-2, 2.97 ERA) gets the ball for the Braves tonight, and the team is an impressive 8-2 in his 10 starts.
With Strider on the mound, the Braves are set as massive favorites against Philadelphia and starter Dylan Covey. This will be Covey's first start of the season, as he's worked in long relief for both the Phillies and Dodgers in 2023.
Let's break down the odds and my best bet for this matchup:
Braves vs. Phillies odds, run line and total
Braves vs. Phillies prediction and pick
I have to roll with Strider in this matchup since I don't really know how this Phillies' pitching plan is going to play out.
Covey can give them some length, but in all likelihood this is going to be mainly a bullpen game, and the Phils are in the middle of the pack in terms of bullpen ERA this season at 4.08.
That, and the fact that Covey has allowed 10 hits in nine innings of work this season (4.84 FIP, 3.00 ERA) tells me that Atlanta's offense (No. 3 in OPS this season) should tee off.
Strider has been great all season, and even though the Braves lost his last start, he still allowed just two earned runs and struck out 11 in six innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Braves righty has just two starts all season where he's allowed more than three runs, and he hasn't allowed more than four earned in any start.
I love Atlanta to run away with this game on Sunday night.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
