Phillies vs. Braves, 5/8/21 MLB Betting Predictions & DFS Notes

Phillies vs. Braves MLB Prediction

National League East rivals clash again in Atlanta on Saturday night when the Braves host the Phillies at 7:20 p.m. ET. After the Phillies took the first game of the series on Friday night, are the Braves a safe bet to rebound?

Game Snapshot

911 Philadelphia Phillies (+150) at 912 Atlanta Braves (-170); o/u 8.5

7:20 p.m. ET, Saturday, May 8, 2021

Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

Philadelphia Phillies DFS Spin

Vince Velasquez will start Saturday against the Braves. Phillies manager Joe Girardi hasn't promised anything beyond that, but mentioned that Velaquez has earned the chance with his recent strong performance. He's a frustrating pitcher, but he's generally pitched better as a starter than a reliever, so it's worth a shot for now. Matt Moore will likely fill a long relief role for the time being.

Atlanta Braves DFS Spin

Ian Anderson was tagged for four runs over four innings on Sunday in a loss to the Blue Jays. Anderson registered five strikeouts and only issued two walks, but also needed a preposterously-high 89 pitches (56 strikes) to complete four frames. The 23-year-old righty had reeled off 13 2/3 scoreless frames over his previous two starts against the Yankees and Cubs, but ran into trouble in this one, serving up a two-run double to Marcus Semien and an RBI double to Bo Bichette before departing. He'll carry a respectable 3.27 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 36/14 K/BB ratio across 33 innings (six starts) into a home matchup against the division-rival Phillies on Saturday.

Phillies vs. Braves Betting Prediction

The over is now 7-1 in the last eight meetings between these two teams in Atlanta and is 11-4 in their last 15 games as an underdog. The over is also 10-2 in the Phillies’ last 12 games versus a team with a losing record and 10-3 in their last 13 games versus National League East opponents. On the other side, the over is 34-15-3 in the Braves’ last 53 home games and is 25-9-3 in their last 37 games as a home favorite.

MLB BETTING PREDICTION: PHILLIES/BRAVES OVER 8.5