The top two teams in the National League are meeting up in Los Angeles as the Dodgers are hosting the Atlanta Braves. There is a good chance that this series is a preview of the NLCS, but there is still plenty of baseball that needs to be played.
Atlanta comes to this series with the best record in the National League, and they are on a roll. The Braves have won four straight games, and they continue to be the betting favorite to win the World Series.
Los Angeles has built up a massive lead in the NL West Division, but they want to try and catch the Braves in the standings. The Dodgers came into this series with a long winning streak, but that was snapped in the series opener.
The Braves are the moneyline betting favorites at -120 over the Dodgers in game two of the series.
Braves Just Continue to Hit
The Atlanta Braves just continue to rack up the runs on offense, and that has been their biggest strength all season long. Atlanta scored eight runs in the series opener, and they have belted 253 home runs this season.
Ronald Acuna Jr. just became the first player in MLB history to hit at least 30 home runs and steal at least 60 bases. Matt Olson has also had a monster season as he has belted 43 home runs, and he continues to drive in runs for this team.
Max Fried makes the start in this game, and he has gone 5-1 with a 2.85 ERA this season. The bullpen for the Braves has been struggling a bit of late, but it usually doesn’t matter with this offense.
Dodgers Need Pitching to Deliver
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a solid offense of their own, but they aren’t going to beat the Braves in a slugfest. Los Angeles is going to need their pitching to keep them in this game, and it starts right at the top.
Julio Urias will be on the mound in this game, and he has gone 11-7 with a 4.41 ERA so far this season. Urias hasn’t been as dominant this season as he had in previous years, but he always has the ability to shut any team down.
Mookie Betts is having a huge season for the Dodgers, as he has belted 38 home runs and driven in 98 runs. Los Angeles can score runs in a hurry, but they want to keep this to a more manageable final score.
Braves Just Keep Winning
There is no denying that these are the two best teams in the National League, but there is still a clear gap between them. While the Dodgers have become a great team this season, the Braves are simply on a different level.
Atlanta nearly blew a big lead in the series opener, but that isn’t going to be happening on Friday night. Fried will set the tone for the Braves in this one, and Atlanta will pick up another impressive win on the road.
Bet the Atlanta Braves -120 as they win for the second straight night in Los Angeles in the battle of division winners.
