Atlanta is a massive -199 favorite for Game 1 of their Wild-Card series against the Phillies today, but after what Philly did to them in 2023 and 2022, you gotta wonder if those odds truly tell the whole story. This isn’t just another regular season game; it’s a best-of-3 opener, and these two rivals are about to throw down in a major way.
Pitching Showdown and Betting Frenzy
Game 1 is kicking off today, Tuesday, down in Atlanta at 2 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action on NBC. The weather looks absolutely perfect for baseball: sunny skies, high near 83F, with light and variable winds. The Braves are trotting out their ace, Chris Sale, on the mound. Now, don’t get me wrong, Sale is a beast, but his playoff record? Let’s just say it’s a bit sketchy. Meanwhile, the Phillies are taking a “mix and match” approach with their pitchers, which could be either a stroke of genius or a recipe for disaster. Bettors are heavily leaning on Atlanta for this one, with a whopping 79% of the handle and 91% of bets going their way at -199 via DraftKings. The total is set at 6.5 runs, and it looks like a lot of folks are expecting this to be a low-scoring affair, with solid action going to the Under.
Philly’s Playoff Curse on the Braves is Real
This isn’t the first rodeo for these two in October; it’s actually the third time in the past five years these fierce rivals are clashing in the postseason. And get this: the Phillies have owned the Braves in recent playoff history. They took both the 2023 and 2022 NLDS in four games each over Atlanta. Oh, and they also won the only other postseason matchup back in 1993. The 2023 Braves team led the majors with an insane 104 regular-season wins and even had home-field advantage in those series, but it didn’t matter. They still fell to Philly! Atlanta has snagged seven NL East titles in the past nine seasons, which is impressive, but they’ve only reached one Fall Classic in that whole span, winning it in 2021. That was also the last time they saw the NLCS. On the flip side, the Phillies somehow made it to the postseason this year despite going on a double-digit losing streak. That’s only the sixth team in MLB history to pull that off! For the whole series, Atlanta is -125 and Philadelphia is +105. A Braves two-game sweep is +210, while a Phillies sweep is a long shot at +380. The Over/Under for games in the series is 2.5, with the Over being a slight favorite.
Big Bats Ready to Explode
While Philly has had their number in the playoffs, Atlanta did dominate the regular-season series this year, winning it 9-4. Ronald Acuna Jr. was absolutely on fire against the Phillies, batting .380 with four homers and 10 RBI. Austin Riley also mashed, hitting four dingers with 11 knocked in. And Michael Harris? He batted a ridiculous .419 with three homers and nine RBI. But don’t sleep on Phillies star Kyle Schwarber. The dude tied for the big-league lead with 45 homers this season! He smashed five dingers and drove in 10 runs against the Braves in the season series. And get this, his 23 career playoff homers are tied for third-most in MLB history. The man lives for October baseball!
This is just Game 1 of a best-of-3, so getting off to a good start is absolutely critical. The winner takes an early lead, and the loser stares down elimination tomorrow. Can Chris Sale dominate and finally turn the tide for Atlanta, or will the Phillies’ playoff magic against the Braves continue?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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