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The Philadelphia Phillies welcome the Atlanta Braves on Friday after Thursday’s Opening Day game was postponed. First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is set for 3:05 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Braves vs. Phillies odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting; Braves won 8 of 13 regular-season meetings last season
The Braves finished on top of the NL East last season with a 104-58 record, also the best record in the MLB. They went 52-29 on the road. Atlanta earned a 1st-round bye in the playoffs before being eliminated by the Phillies 3-1 in the NLDS.
Philadelphia finished 2nd in the NL East last season with a 90-72 record, 14 games behind the Braves. The Phillies went 49-32 at home. They fell 1 game short of the World Series, losing 4-3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS.
Braves at Phillies projected starters
RHP Spencer Strider vs. RHP Zack Wheeler
Strider went 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts last season. He had a WHIP of 1.09 and in 186.2 IP, he had a 4.8 K/BB with 281 total strikeouts.
- In his 2nd season as a starter, Strider went from 11 to 20 wins
- Pitched 55 more innings in 2023 than 2022; ERA jumped from 2.67 to 3.86
Wheeler was 13-6 with a 3.61 ERA in 32 starts last season with a WHIP of 1.08. In 192 IP, he had a 5.4 K/BB with 212 total strikeouts.
- Entering 10th season and is coming off a career-best .684 W% and his 5.4 K/BB tying a career high.
- Eclipsed 200 strikeouts for just the 2nd time in his career
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Braves at Phillies odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:37 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Braves -125 (bet $125 to win $100) | Phillies +105 (bet $100 to win $105)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Braves -1.5 (+140) | Phillies +1.5 (-165)
- Over/Under (O/U): 7.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)
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Braves at Phillies picks and predictions
Prediction
Phillies 6, Braves 5
Moneyline
BET PHILLIES (+105).
While Atlanta should have the better season overall, Philadelphia has a true home-field advantage opening up the season in front of its fans. The Phillies have a sour taste in their mouth from how last season ended and will look to come out swinging. They bested the Braves in 4 of the final 5 matchups between the 2 last season.
Run line/Against the spread
PASS.
There is no value here.
Over/Under
BET OVER 7.5 (+100).
While Friday will be a battle between 2 aces, the Phillies and Braves both have good offenses. At even money for a lower total, this is worth a wager. The Braves had an Over record of 91-68 last season and will be looking to pick up where they left off. Four of the last 6 games played between these 2 has resulted in more than 9 runs.
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