Braves vs. Phillies Prediction: A Closer Look at the NL East Battle

Who: Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies
When: Thursday, Sept. 22
Time: 7:15 p.m. EST
Where: Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia, PA)

Moneyline: Braves -154, Phillies +130
- The moneyline is simply a bet on which team will win. The Braves are the favorites at -154, meaning you'd need to bet $154 to win $100 if they win. The Phillies are underdogs at +130, so a $100 bet on them would win you $130 if they pull off the upset.
Runline: Braves -1.5 (+114), Phillies +1.5 (-137)
- The runline is similar to a point spread. For the Braves to cover at -1.5, they need to win by at least 2 runs. The Phillies, at +1.5, need to either win the game or lose by just 1 run for this bet to win.
Total: Over/Under 8 Runs (-106/-114)
- The total is a bet on how many runs both teams will score combined. If you bet the over, the total needs to be 9 or more runs for you to win. If you bet the under, it needs to be 7 or fewer runs. If it ends at exactly 8 runs, the bet is refunded.

Note: Odds are current at the time of writing and may change.

The Atlanta Braves (93-65) are gaining ground in the NL East and face their division rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies (80-67), on Thursday. The Braves are 5-1 in their last six games and currently hold the top Wild Card spot. They enter Thursday’s game just one game behind the New York Mets for the division lead. The Phillies, on the other hand, have lost five of their last six games and sit third in the division. Although they are not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, things aren't trending in their favor.

Max Fried (ATL): 13-6, 2.52 ERA Fried has been one of Atlanta’s most reliable pitchers, ranking in the top 12 in wins, ERA, and WHIP. In September, Fried has a stellar 2.12 ERA and has struck out 16 batters while walking just 4 in three starts. He last faced the Phillies on Friday, leading Atlanta to a 7-2 victory. This will be Fried's fourth start against Philadelphia this year. Over 18 innings, he has a 3.50 ERA with a solid track record against the Phillies lineup, holding them to a .194 batting average.
Ranger Suarez (PHI): 9-5, 3.53 ERA Suarez has been effective lately, but wins have been hard to come by. He pitched well against the Braves last week, allowing only one earned run over six innings. Unfortunately for the Phillies, their bullpen faltered, giving up six runs in the final three innings. Philadelphia’s bullpen ranks 22nd in the MLB with a combined ERA of 4.31, and their recent struggles have contributed to their 1-5 slide.

Atlanta Braves: The Braves boast a powerful lineup led by Ronald Acuña Jr., Dansby Swanson, and Austin Riley. All three have had success against Ranger Suarez, making them players to watch on Thursday.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies' offense has struggled lately, averaging just 3.7 runs per game in September. They’ve scored more than three runs only once in their last six games, which doesn’t bode well against a strong Braves team.

Despite pitching well against Atlanta last week, Suarez is 0-2 against the Braves this season with a 4.09 ERA. The Phillies are also struggling, having allowed 42 runs in their last six games while losing five of them. Meanwhile, the Braves are on a roll, with Fried pitching as one of the league's best. These teams are heading in opposite directions, and we recommend backing Atlanta.

At +114 odds on the runline, the Braves are good value to cover the -1.5 spread. A $100 bet would return $114 in profit plus your original stake.

Same-game parlays allow you to combine multiple bets from the same game for a bigger payout. Here are our picks for Thursday's game between the Braves and Phillies:

Dansby Swanson to Score a Run (+100)
Ronald Acuña Jr. to Record 2+ Total Bases (-110)
Austin Riley to Record an RBI (+125)

Combining these three props into a same-game parlay gives odds of +665. This means a $100 bet would win $665 in profit, plus your original $100 wager back.

Swanson to Score a Run: Swanson has scored 93 runs this season and has a .974 OPS against Ranger Suarez. Given his success, we like his chances to cross the plate on Thursday.
Acuña 2+ Total Bases: Acuña has 17 hits in his last 17 games, with five of those being multi-hit games. He’s surpassed 2 total bases in nine of his last 17 games in September.
Riley to Record an RBI: Riley leads the Braves in RBIs this season and has a .750 OPS against Suarez. He also has two RBIs in his last three games, making him a solid anchor for this parlay.