Saturday's MLB slate will be capped off with a National League showdown between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves.
Entering today, the Diamondbacks are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West. Perhaps it's time we start taking this team seriously.
Even if we do, the oddsmakers still won't. They have the Diamondbacks set as significant underdogs to the Braves at home. So, how should we handle that from a betting perspective.
Let's jump into it.
Braves vs. Diamondbacks odds, run line, and total
Braves vs. Diamondbacks prediction and pick
Call me crazy, but I'm not afraid to back the Diamondbacks on Saturday night, even if they have to take on one of the best pitchers in the Majors in Spencer Strider.
The Diamondbacks rank 6th in the Majors in OPS against right-handed pitchers over the last 30 days. That kind of offensive production is going to go a long way in battling against Strider. It's also worth noting that Strider has allowed at least two earned runs in three straight starts, so we might be witnessing some regression from him.
Ryne Nelson's numbers may not be anything to write home about, but his 5.37 ERA is a little bit deceiving. His 4.75 FIP (Field Independent Pitching) indicates that we may see some positive regression from him sooner rather than later.
Also, let's not forget this Braves offense isn't as hot as you might think. They rank just 20th in OPS over the last 30 days.
Let's get crazy and take a shot on the Diamondbacks as significant underdogs tonight.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.