Atlanta at Philadelphia MLB Odds Preview

On Friday night, the Atlanta Braves hit Philadelphia to open a weekend series with the surprising Phillies, who are riding a hot streak and sit tied with Washington for first place in the NL East with a 24-17 record that includes taking two of three from the Marlins in their midweek series. The Braves (10-29) sit in dead last in the NL East, although they did beat the Pirates on Wednesday, 3-1. Find the updated MLB sportsbook odds here.

Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies MLB Odds Preview

When: Friday, May 20, 2016, 7:05 PM Eastern time Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia TV: CSN, FSSO Radio: 680 AM Atlanta Live Stream: MLB.tv MLB Odds: TBA Pitching Matchup: Matt Wisler (1-3, 3.14 ERA) (ATL) vs Aaron Nola (3-2, 2.89 ERA) (PHI)    

Why should you bet on Atlanta?

Since the Braves don’t hit very well at all, let’s look past Matt Wisler’s 1-3 record and at that 3.14 ERA. He will be seeing Philadelphia for the second time in 10 days, and while he earned a no-decision in that start, he did make it into the eighth inning and has been managing opposing offenses well. Other than Maikel Franco (.667, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 6 AB) and Ryan Howard (.429, 1 RBI, 7 AB) there aren’t any Phillies hitters who have had a lot of success against Wisler.

Why should you put your money on the Phillies?

Aaron Nola has been one of the many bright spots for this young Philadelphia team. He has lasted at least six innings in all except one of his starts, and he has held teams under four runs in all but two of his starts. He limited Cincinnati to a single run over seven innings in his last start. The hit parade in Philly has been spreading, as rookie Tyler Goeddel launched a 418-foot solo shot off Miami reliever Jose Urena in their win on Wednesday. Right now, the Phillies have their manager, Pete Mackanin, in the early running for Manager of the Year.

Expert Pick and Final Winner Prediction

I like the Phillies to keep their winning ways going against a paltry Braves lineup. I’m predicting a 5-2 win for Philadelphia.