Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies Betting Picks

Last place Philadelphia is 4-8 on the road and ends a seven-game trek. They're on a 3-14 slide, with an offense that is 28th in runs scored and on-base percentage. Aaron Nola struggled last year (5-10, 6.01 ERA) and is struggling again, with a 5.06 ERA. The Phillies are 1-4 in his four starts, and the bullpen is ranked 17th (4.42 ERA). First-place Atlanta is No. 1 in runs scored, fourth in on-base percentage, and second in slugging. Chris Sale is 3-0 at home with a 1.00 ERA, while the bullpen is ranked sixth (3.23 ERA). Play Atlanta. 

Zack Wheeler is back, and the Phillies sure can use him. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, this is not an ideal spot for Wheeler to make his season debut. The Braves are red hot, winning nine of their last 10 games. The Phillies are not. They have lost 10 consecutive games. All but one of the losses was by more than one run. This is Philadelphia's longest slump in eight years. Now the Phillies have to face a rejuvenated Bryce Elder, who is 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 30 innings. Atlanta is 4-1 in Elder's five starts this season. Wheeler was forced to miss the last six weeks last year, including the entire postseason, after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. Wheeler has been working through his minor league rehab assignments while battling a dip in velocity. It is going to take him a while to get up to speed. Take the Braves.

Philadelphia continued its free fall, losing 8-7 in 10 innings to the Cubs on Thursday. The Phillies went OVER for the third straight time while allowing 22 runs in that span. Atlanta is going in a different direction, having won eight of nine, including a three-game sweep of the Phillies last weekend. The Braves are 3-0-1 OVER their past four games. Ozzie Albies hit a two-run single in the Braves' four-run seventh, a solo homer, and a sacrifice fly as they beat the Nationals 7-2. Atlanta has averaged 6.22 runs in nine games. The Phillies have lost their past six road games, and Atlanta is 8-4 at home. The Braves have gone OVER 10 of 15 as favorites. Andrew Painter has a 4.42 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP, and he allowed three runs on five hits in four innings against the Braves on Sunday. Take the Braves and the OVER.

Philadelphia will look to halt its four-game skid with Andrew Painter making his fourth start this season. The Phillies won two of them and Painter has allowed six runs in 14 1/3 innings with 16 strikeouts. The Braves will be seeing him for the first time. Grant Holmes goes for Atlanta, which lost his last start 10-4 to Miami after he allowed three runs in four innings. The Phillies come off a well-pitched game after being outscored 30-6 their previous three games. The bullpen came through with three shutout innings on two hits on Saturday. Now they have to build on that performance to salvage the final game of the series. Atlanta has gone OVER eight of its past 12 games and it is 6-1-1 OVER against right-handed starters. Take the Phillies and the OVER.