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Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies: A battle for the top of the NL East

The Atlanta Braves are visiting the Philadelphia Phillies in the series opener at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday.

The Braves have a good week

The Atlanta Braves are second in the NL East with a 73-60 record including 37-32 on the road. They have won their last three games and are coming off a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Twins that swept the series. The Braves have a 3.65 ERA, a .239 batting average, a .305 on-base percentage, and 1.22 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Marcell Ozuna is the best player on the team, with 154 hits, 83 runs, and 37 home runs.

The Phillies are targeting the top seed in the NL

The Philadelphia Phillies are on top of the NL East with the second-best record in the MLB, 78-55, including 44-24 at home. After winning four consecutive games, they lost 10-0 to the Houston Astros in the last one. The Phillies have a 3.66 ERA, a .236 batting average, a .299 on-base percentage, and 1.20 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Alec Bohm leads the team with 147 hits, Kyle Schwarber is on top with 88 runs, and 28 home runs.

Betting Trends

The Phillies are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games overall, and 6-2 SU in their last 8 home games. Philadelphia has played under the total run line in their last 5 games against Atlanta and 5 of their last 6 games against teams from the NL and has gone over in 4 of their last 5 home games against Atlanta. The Braves are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games overall, 4-1 SU in their last 5 games against the Phillies, 5-0 SU in their last 5 games on the road, and 8-4 SU in their last 12 games against teams from the NL East. Atlanta has played under the total run line in 8 of their last 10 games overall, and their last 7 games against teams from the NL.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Philadelphia Phillies are five games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the top spot in the NL East, and this series may give us the answer to whether the Braves can push for the top seed in the division. They are in good form coming to Philly after sweeping the Twins. The Braves will start veteran Charlie Morton, who is 7-7 for the season with a 4.24 ERA, 133 K, 131.2 IP, and 1.30 WHIP. Cristopher Sanchez will be the starting pitcher for the Phillies, who are 9-9 for the season with a 3.51 ERA, 116 K, 146.1 IP, and 1.27 WHIP. The stakes are high in the series, and the opener will set the tone for the rest of it. The Phillies and Braves have played under the total run line in their last five head-to-head games, and with the line set at 8.5, we go with under.