Two clubs fighting to stay in postseason contention are set to meet tonight. On Wednesday, it was the Braves who came out victorious with an 8-3 victory. The scrappy Angels will hope to bounce back and secure a series win on the road. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Thursday’s contest between the Angels and Braves.
The Braves are favorites (-158) over the Angels, with the over/under set at nine runs. Let’s break down which side has the edge on DraftKings Sportsbook entering tonight’s inter-league matchup.
Angels at Braves prediction, preview
In what was expected to be another rebuilding year, the Angels are surprisingly competitive at 42-43. Los Angeles’ success has come in spite of its pitching. This season, the Halos have surrendered the seventh-most runs per game to opponents (4.89). Outside of offseason signing Yusei Kikuchi, quality arms have been hard to come by in Orange County. With that being said, Jose Soriano is beginning to turn some heads. Over 97.0 innings of work, the righty owns a 3.99 ERA and 84 strikeouts. The 26-year-old is the definition of boom or bust. In June, Soriano tossed a combined 13.2 innings with one total run against the Yankees and Astros. However, the hurler also coughed up eight earned runs during his last outing against the Nationals.
It’s difficult to figure out when you’ll get the ‘good’ Soriano. However, there is a recurring theme: he doesn’t fare well when pitching at home. Through eight starts at Angels Stadium, the Dominican recorded a 5.57 ERA. On the road? 2.78. Tonight, Los Angeles will face a talented, but underperforming, opponent. Even with a healthy Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta scored the fifth-fewest runs in baseball during the month of June. In addition, the Braves own baseball’s 11th-lowest OPS (.710) against right-handers.
Tonight, Atlanta will send Bryce Elder to the mound. On the year, he’s accounted for a ghastly 5.82 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. When the 26-year-old last made an appearance, he was lit up for ten runs in two innings vs. Philadelphia. During the youngster’s last three games, he’s coughed up 18 earned runs (15.19 ERA). Elder has an issue with the long ball; his 1.9 HR/9 ratio is right below Jameson Taillon’s league-worst 2.1 mark. In comparison, Soriano leads baseball with a 0.4 HR/9.
Angels at Braves pick, best bet
Best Bet: Angels ML (+128)
Elder has been a dinger machine for opposing lineups all season. That’s especially bad against the Angels, who are tied for the fourth-most homers in baseball. Soriano is no guarantee, but we’ve seen far more good than bad from him over the past month. At plus money, I’ll gladly back Los Angeles tonight.
