D-Backs vs. Braves Thursday Prediction
Mike Soroka is one of the top pitching prospects in the Braves’ organization and he draws the start Thursday as Atlanta wraps up its series with the Diamondbacks at 12:10 p.m. ET. After their bats struggled last night, will the Braves’ offense come alive today?
Game Snapshot & Odds
951 Arizona Diamondbacks (+145) at 952 Atlanta Braves (-167); 9 runs
Thursday, April 17, 2019
12:10 p.m. ET, SunTrust Park, Atlanta, GA
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Public Betting Trends
According to our MLB Public Betting Chart page, 54% of the betting tickets are on the Braves to beat the Diamondbacks on the money line.
Arizona Diamondbacks Fantasy Spin
Christian Walker went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored to help the Diamondbacks come back to beat the Braves 9-6 on Tuesday. Walker had a couple of singles before stepping to the dish in a tied game in the ninth. He proceeded to take Braves de facto closer A.J. Minter out to left to give the D’backs a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Walker now has two consecutive three-hit contests and has homered in both, raising his line to .294/.368/.667 with five homers, nine RBI and 10 runs. Not a bad couple of days.
Atlanta Braves Fantasy Spin
Soroka will make his season debut in Thursday’s matinee game against the Diamondbacks. The 21-year-old right-hander posted a 3.51 ERA and 21/7 K/BB ratio over his first 25 2/3 major league innings in 2018 and has been brilliant throughout the minor leagues. This might just be a one-off spot start, but Soroka should be back up for good at some point this summer. He belongs on the radar in most standard fantasy leagues and is probably worth a stream on Thursday versus Arizona.
MLB Betting Trends
Arizona
The Diamondbacks have won four of their last five road games versus the Braves.
Atlanta
The Braves have won four of Soroka’s last five starts.
Prediction:
The Braves managed only two runs in a great matchup with Arizona starter Zack Godley last night but I’m not afraid to attack Luke Weaver this afternoon. The former St. Louis Cardinal has not fared well against left-handed batters over the last two seasons, allowing a 37% hard contact rate. The Braves have several hitters in their projected lineup that should do damage against Weaver, including Ozzie Albies, Freddie Freeman, Johan Camargo and Nick Markakis. Atlanta is -167 to beat Arizona but the Braves’ team total sits at over/under 4.5 with the over carrying odds of -140. I like the value better with Atlanta’s TT than I do its ML odds.
The Pick: Atlanta Braves Team Total OVER 4.5 Runs (-140)