MLB Pick: Miami Marlins at Atlanta Braves

Tonight the Miami Marlins (46-63 Overall, 20-32 Away) will attempt to salvage the final game of their three-game series with the Atlanta Braves (57-47 Overall, 28-23 Home). The Braves, who are one-half game behind the NL East-leading Phillies, have won three straight while going 5-5 for their last 10. The Marlins occupy last place in the division, are 14 games out of first, and 12 games away from the final wild card spot. They have the worst road record of any team in the National League. Our Marlins play Braves 2018 MLB pick has Atlanta at -172 and Miami at +162 with the over at -115 (8.5) and under at -105 (8.5). Run line odds offer the Braves at +118 )-1.5) and the Marlins at -130 (+1.5).

Pitching

Righty Pablo Lopez (2-2 W/L, 5.34 EAR, 1.29 WHIP) will take the mound for the Marlins. Lopez has had five starts this season and has gone 2-2-1. In his four starts in July, he is 1-2-1, including a 9-1 loss to the Nationals on July 27. That start included a total of 5.2 innings pitched, as he allowed four runs on nine hits. In the three losses endured by Miami when Lopez has started, opponents have scored a total of 31 runs with Lopez yielding 14 of them.

The Braves send Anibal Sanchez (5-3 W/L, 3.00 ERA, 1.09) out for tonight’s start. Sanchez has been uneven all season. His last start, which he lost, was July 26 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over 6.1 innings, he was responsible for five runs on seven hits. Four of those runs were earned. Prior to that game, on July 20, he earned a win versus Washington. Over 6.0 innings, he allowed three runs on six hits with two of those hits being homeruns. In July, he is 2-1-2 with the team going 3-1-1 when he’s started.

Hitting

In team stats, the Braves are outpacing Marlins hitters. Atlanta’s batting average stands at .261 to Miami’s .245, and their slugging percentage comes in at .424 while the visitors are at .366. Atlanta sluggers have hit 118 homers to 88 by the Marlins.

Miami does have some good hitters. The top three are J.T. Realmuto, Starlin Castro, and Brian Anderson. Realmuto, who leads the club in batting average (.308) and RBI (53), has 14 homers and 24 doubles. Castro tops the team in hits with 122. He’s knocked in 40 runs and hit 23 doubles. Anderson is hitting .286 with 51 RBI. Justin Bour, who is hitting just .226, has the most homers (16).

Nick Markakis, Freddie Freeman, and Ozzie Albies are the trio leading in hitting stats for the Braves. Markakis has a team-best .319 batting average and has smacked 130 hits. He’s also accumulated 67 RBI, which is one less than the RBI-leader on the team, Freeman, Freeman also tops the club in OBP with a .399 mark. Albies is tops in homers with 20. He’s hitting .280 with 57 RBI and 30 doubles.

Our Marlins Play Braves 2018 MLB Free Pick

We do like the over in this game at 8.5, as Lopez has tended to offer up a lot of runs in losses and eight-of-eleven contests between these two teams this season have gone over eight runs. Thus far this season the Braves lead this series eight games to three. Plus, Atlanta looks to be developing a streak. Our Marlins play Braves 2018 MLB pick for the run line is Atlanta at +118 (-1.5).

Summary Miami at Atlanta MLB Pick: Braves at +118 (-1.5) and over 8.5 runs (-115)