The Philadelphia Phillies (9-14) look to avoid a three-game sweep at the Atlanta Braves (16-11) in ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball game of the week – first pitch scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET at Truist Park. We analyze the Phillies-Braves MLB betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Saturday: The Braves claimed a thrilling 6-5, walk-off victory, winning on RF Adam Duvall’s two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. Atlanta rallied from a 4-0 deficit after 6½ innings and led 5-4 after eight innings. Philly managed to tie it at 5-5 in the ninth before suffering their fifth loss in a row – they dropped Friday’s opener 11-2.
Phillies at Braves: Projected starting pitchers
RHP Zach Eflin vs. RHP Josh Tomlin
Eflin: 0-1, 5.14 ERA (14 IP, 8 ER), 23 K in 3 starts
- Last start: No-decision, 4 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 8 K at Boston Red Sox Tuesday – Phillies won 13-6
- 2019 vs. Braves: 1-3, 6.61 ERA (16 1/3 IP, 12 ER) in 4 starts
- Career vs. Braves: 3-3, 3.66 ERA (39 1/3 IP, 16 ER) in 7 starts
Tomlin: 1-0, 2.35 ERA (15 1/3 IP, 4 ER), 18 K in 1 start and 8 relief appearances
- Last start: No-decision, 4 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 K vs. Washington Nationals Tuesday – Braves lost 8-5
- Career as a starter: 57-50, 4.67 ERA in 146 games – only 2 starts since 2019; career 97 relief appearances
- 2020 vs. Phillies: 1 hold, 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K in 1 relief outing (Aug. 9) of an eventual 5-2 victory
- Career vs. Phillies: 0-0, 4.00 ERA (9 IP, 4 ER) in 9 relief appearances
Get some action on this game or any other matchup in the 2020 season with an MLB bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!
Phillies at Braves: Key injuries
(Get the latest injury news here.)
Phillies
- RP Jose Alvarez (groin) out
- RF Jay Bruce (quadriceps) out
Braves
- OF Ronald Acuna Jr. (wrist) out
- 2B Ozzie Albies (wrist) out
- OF Nick Markakis (COVID-19) out
Also see: BaseballHQ Fantasy Baseball
Phillies at Braves: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Phillies 5, Braves 4
Moneyline (ML)
The PHILLIES (-106) are the play. While they have lost five in a row overall, and are a dreadful 4-12 in their last 16 at Atlanta (-106), I just don’t see them getting swept. They really need this W.
Plus, Eflin’s 4.20 career ERA at home (in 216 1/3 IP) is more than a run better than his 5.28 road ERA (216 2/3 IP).
New to sports betting? Every $1.06 bet on either team’s ML will profit $1 if they win.
Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
AVOID. The payout for the Phillies (-1.5, +145) is not big enough. Plus, they’re 8-15 vs. the RL overall and 2-6 vs. the RL on the road. The Braves (+1.5, -167) aren’t much better at 12-15 vs. the RL and 6-7 vs. the RL at home.
Over/Under (O/U)
Thu UNDER 9.5 (-110) is worth a small play. What worries me is the Phillies bullpen, which ranks last in the majors with an 8.29 ERA. If the O/U drops to 9, it’s a PASS. (Small-play wagers should be half your usual bet).
Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.
| Johnny’s 2020 MLB record | 33-17-1 |
| 2020 overall record | 73-43-2 |
| Strongest plays | 37-17 |
Follow @JohnnyParlay11 on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]