The Philadelphia Phillies are one win away from finishing off this NL Division Series against division rival, Atlanta Braves. These two teams are quickly writing baseball history with their epic battles in recent playoff years.
But Atlanta doesn’t care about history, it simply needs to find a way to defeat the Phillies, who continue to pile on runs. Whichever team wins this series, they will face the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series.
The two Game 1 pitchers will face each other again in Game 4, this time at Citizens Bank Park in Philly. The crowd there has been louder than Taylor Swift fans seeking an encore.
The players seem to feed off that noise and enthusiasm. If superstar Bryce Harper stays hot, the season could end tonight for the Braves, who won more games than any team in MLB.
Series Schedule
- Game 1: Phillies 3, Braves 0
- Game 2: Braves 5, Phillies 4
- Game 3: Phillies 10, Braves 2
- Game 4: Braves at Phillies, Oct. 12, 8:07 PM ET on TBS
- Game 5*: Phillies at Braves, Oct. 14, 8:07 PM ET on TBS
*If necessary.
Head-to-Head Results
The Braves won the regular season series against the Phillies, 8 games to 5.
BetMGM Series Winner Odds: Braves +200 | Phillies -250
More Baseball: World Series Odds | Best MLB Betting Sites | MLB MVP Odds
Pitching Matchup for Game 4
Spencer Strider (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs Ranger Suárez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
No, this is not a rerun. Five days ago, these two pitchers met in the opener of this series in Atlanta. That game was scoreless when Strider and Suárez left the mound, but it was Philly who emerged with the win. The better pitcher in that contest was Strider, who allowed only two baserunners in 3 2/3 innings. His success, though short-lived gives Atlanta skipper Brian Snitker reason to be optimistic.
Braves vs. Phillies Best Bet & Game Pick
The Phillies are not some upstart October team on a wave of enthusiasm like the Diamondbacks. This is a team that smacked the Braves last season in the playoffs, and barreled its way to the World Series. That’s why we believe the Fightin’ Phils will finish off Atlanta on Thursday evening and advance to the NL Championship Series.
BEST BET: Phillies and OVER 8.5 Total Runs (+330 at DraftKings)
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