The Marlins and Braves have seen each other quite a bit this weekend. They had a four-game series extended to five due to a double-header on Saturday, Aug. 9.
Sunday’s afternoon contest marks the fifth and final game of the series, but it won’t be the final time these teams face off this season.
The Braves are -132 favorites on the moneyline, and the Marlins are +108 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at over/under 8.5 runs.
Here’s my prediction and pick for Sunday’s Marlins vs. Braves matchup.
Marlins vs. Braves prediction
The Marlins had an impressive run not too long ago, winning five straight and nine of their last 11. It helped them reach .500 for the first time since April.
Miami will likely miss the postseason, but it does have a slight chance to sneak into the Wild Card round. Every game moving forward is meaningful.
Cal Quantrill will start for Miami after allowing seven earned runs and nine hits through 4.1 innings in his last outing. Prior to this, he had a three-game run allowing just one earned run in total. Which version of Quantrill that shows up will play a major role in the outcome.
Atlanta is in the bottom third of teams in runs scored per game. A late-season resurgence wouldn’t be unheard of, but the playoffs still are not in sight. The Braves’ hope is that Quantrill pitches like he did on Aug. 5 and not the three starts prior.
Meanwhile, Joey Wentz is starting for the Braves. He’s stepped into a starter role since joining the Braves and has been pretty reliable. He’s made five starts with Atlanta, finishing with zero earned runs in three of them. He did, however, struggle in his most recent game, allowing five earned runs and seven hits in 5.1 innings.
The winner of this game likely comes down to which pitcher wins the duel.
Marlins vs. Braves pick, best bet
Sunday marks the final game of this series. The Braves won three of the four games thus far.
The finale will come down to the starting pitcher matchup, and I’m siding with Quantrill. He is coming off a poor outing against the Astros, but he had three great performances before that.
If he can put together another solid performance, the Marlins can take one on the road.