Game 2 of this series between two rivals is right around the corner as the Atlanta Braves take on the Miami Marlins on Saturday evening. It is time to take a sneak peek at our MLB odds series, where our Braves-Marlins prediction and pick will be revealed.
The Braves narrowly escaped the jaws of defeat by squeaking out a 5-3 victory on Friday. Atlanta managed to score five runs in the opening three frames, which proved to be enough firepower to dispose of Miami. Tonight, the Braves will give the reigns to RHP Kyle Wright, who is 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA thus far in 2022.
While the Marlins battled back the best way they could, Miami dug themselves too deep a hole to climb out of on Friday. Now 9-11 at home, the Marlins will look to change the tide of their season by forcing a rubber match game tomorrow with a win tonight. On the mound for Miami will be righty Elieser Hernandez, who has mostly struggled to begin the season with a 2-3 record and a lofty 6.15 ERA.
Here are the Braves-Marlins MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds Braves-Marlins Odds
Atlanta Braves: -1.5 (-118)
Miami Marlins: +1.5 (-142)
Over: 8 (-104)
Under: 8 (-118)
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Why The Braves Could Cover the Spread
Atlanta showcased that they could cover the spread in Friday night's matchup by jumping on the Marlins early and often. In order to have a repeat performance today and cover the spread again in doing so, a similar formula for success may be in store to get the job done.
As predicted, the play of Ronald Acuna Jr. at the plate proved to be valuable, as the youthful slugger went 2-4 with a walk and run scored in leading the offense to victory. With the slight lack of firepower on offense compared to the World Series winning team from a season ago, the importance of Acuna Jr taking advantage of every at-bat he participates in is as vital as it gets. The sense of urgency at the plate should be Atlanta's main priority, as the Braves are only the 25th best team in the league in batting average at .225. Wright has not received the best run support from his offense in his outings, so the Braves must generate some offense for their hurler on bump.
On the mound, Atlanta did just enough to keep the Marlins from inflicting any possible damage, as they limited Miami from making contact and putting the ball in play. Coming off his sixth quality start of the season, Kyle Wright has shown what he is all about in 2022 with his impressive arsenal of pitches that keep the opposition on their toes and having to guess on what is coming next when they step inside the box.
If Atlanta is planning on covering the spread on back-to-back nights, then expect Wright to be up to his usual dominating ways this season. He will look to improve a 1-2 record with a 4.74 ERA in four career starts versus the Marlins.
Why The Marlins Could Cover the Spread
After a gut-punch of a loss at home, it is obvious that the Marlins need to come storming out of the gates with some added urgency in this one. A loss on Saturday would plummet Miami to five games under .500 for the first time of the season, as the Marlins must start figuring it out as a whole before it becomes too late. Luckily, with over 120 games to still be played, Miami has plenty of time to right their wrongs.
To begin, the Marlins lineup was for the most part baffled the entirety of the night by Charlie Morton and the rest of the bullpen. Miami's offensive attack has been nothing special in 2022, but they do rank out as an above-average team in many statistical categories. In fact, the Marlins are 11th in average at .244 and are also a top ten team when it comes to their on-base and slugging percentages. The most encouraging part of an overall bad night for the Marlins yesterday had to be the hitting performance from DH Jorge Soler. Soler is only slashing .204 on the season, but he was in a groove at the plate by going 2-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs in the loss.
Pitching-wise, the struggles have been real for Hernandez on the mound, as he has not pitched effectively in his three starts in May with an 0-2 record and a 6.75 ERA to his name. Although talented, Hernandez must snap out of the funk that he is in to give his team a chance to tie the series heading into the finale on Sunday. Fortunately, Hernandez is 1-1 with a 3.22 ERA in six career starts against Atlanta.
Final Braves-Marlins Prediction & Pick
Wright has proved that he has what it takes to silence the Marlins bats in large part to his recent starts, and don't forget about the red-hot Marcel Ozuna, who is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak. The defending champion Braves should handle business in this one, as they will come out on top in Miami by multiple runs.
Final Braves-Marlins Prediction & Pick: Braves -1.5 (+118)
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