Braves Battling for First Place
It wasn’t that long ago when both the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies were cutting into the New York Mets’ once-comfortable lead atop the National League East standings. The Braves have continued to surge and are only 1½ games out of first place while the Phillies find themselves 9½ games back.
Over the last 10 games, only four National League teams have a higher team ERA than Philadelphia’s mark of 4.76.
The starting pitching matchup will feature Atlanta’s Max Fried, who is fifth in the current National League Cy Young odds. He will be going after his 11th win. The Braves are 10-1 in the last 11 games started by Fried. He will be opposed by fellow lefty Ranger Suarez, who came into the season with 15 career starts.
The Braves (+125) are second in the odds to win the National League East title. The Phillies come in at +2000.
According to the MLB playoff odds, the Braves (+800) have moved up to fifth in the odds for the World Series championship. The Phillies are tied for 11th with +1600 odds.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB predictions, for Braves vs Phillies. We’ve plenty of world series predictions for you to consider.
Riley on a tear for the Braves
It might be harder to find a player in the majors in more of a groove right now than Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley.
Riley takes a 16-game hitting streak into the series against the Phillies. He has 10 multi-hit games during that stretch with five doubles, eight home runs, and 15 RBIs.
In the month of July, Riley leads all qualified batters with a .420 batting average, 34 hits, 17 extra-base hits including 10 home runs, a .877 slugging percentage, and OPS of 1.337.
AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS THAT BALL WAS CRUSHED@austinriley1308 | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/RP2EtSW0UB
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 24, 2022
With Riley and teammate Matt Olson tied for the National League lead with 20 RBIs in July, it is no wonder that the Braves are 14-6 during the month, with two of the losses coming by one run.
Now, Riley is facing a team that he is hitting .346 against this season with four doubles and three home runs among his nine hits.
Each of the last six Atlanta games have gone over the Las Vegas odds total.
Young Players Carrying Phillies
Some of the players expected to carry the Philadelphia Phillies haven’t been getting the job done. Kyle Schwarber (.155 average, 29 strikeouts in 71 at-bats), Nick Castellanos (.233, three extra-base hits in 18 games) and Rhys Hoskins (.215 batting average) are struggling in July. They are 5-for-26 with 10 strikeouts in the last three games.
That has put more pressure on some of the less proven hitters to step up.
Alec Bohm hit .252 with two home runs and 13 RBIs during the months of May and June. He is at .400 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 13 games played in July. He has hits in all but one game in the month, including five multi-hit games, and he has raised his batting average from .263 to .282.
Bryson Stott is 9-for-24 with three doubles and two homers over his last nine games.
Darrick Hall has four multi-hit games in July, with the Phillies going 4-0 in those contests.
The MLB betting lines total has gone under in 10 of Philadelphia’s last 14 games.
Braves vs Phillies Head-to-Head
Atlanta Braves have won seven of the last 10 games against the Phillies.
Philadelphia is 8-5 at home against the Braves since the start of the 2021 season. The Braves are 5-3 in games decided by two runs or less over the last 20 meetings. The last meeting featured almost as many runs (18) as the previous three matchups combined.
The bad news for Philadelphia is that its best hitter against Atlanta is Bryce Harper (.474 average, four extra-base hits) and he will miss the series.
The Braves (+125) are second in the odds to win the National League East title. The Phillies come in at +2000.
The Phillies have 10 home runs in the seven games against Atlanta but have also allowed 10 homers. The Philadelphia bullpen has a 4.86 ERA against Atlanta this season.
Riley, Matt Olson, William Contreras, and Dansby Swanson are all hitting over .300 against the Phillies with eight doubles and six home runs. The Atlanta bullpen has a 4.73 ERA against the Phillies in 2022 compared to a 6.11 mark by the starters.
Braves vs Phillies Game Information
- Game: Braves (58-39, second in the NL East) vs Phillies (49-46, third in the NL East)
- Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
- Day/Time: Monday, July 25, 7:05 p.m. EDT
- Braves vs Phillies Live Stream: MLB.tv
Take a Look at Other 3 Analysis Picks & Predictions For This Week’s MLB Matchups
- Angels vs Braves Preview, Live Stream, Odds, Picks & Predictions
- Angels vs Braves Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks, July 22
- Yankees vs Mets Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks, July 26
Braves vs Phillies Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Atlanta Braves
M. Fried -L |
-1½ -110 | -175 | 8 -120o | 4½ -110o
4½ -120u |
| Philadelphia Phillies
R. Suarez -L |
+1½ -110 | +155 | 8 Evu | 3½ -110o
3½ -120u |
Braves vs Phillies Prediction
Suarez is 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in two starts against the Braves this season. He has allowed 12 hits, nine runs, two home runs, and six walks in 11 innings. Fried is 4-2 against the Phillies over the last four seasons
Both teams have dealt with injuries to key hitters. Philadelphia’s Harper was among the top MVP candidates before injuring his hand on June 25. He is still likely a few weeks away from returning. Infielder Juan Segura hasn’t played since May 31 due to a finger injury for the Phillies
Adam Duvall, who is fifth on the Braves with 12 homers, is out for the season, as is second baseman Ozzie Albies.
Nine of the last 10 Atlanta games have been decided by at least three runs.
The Braves are 27-16 against the spread on the road while the Phillies are just 21-27 against the spread at home.
With the Phillies being swept by the Chicago Cubs in the first series after the MLB All-Star break and having to face Fried, Atlanta would be the wise choice in the series opener.
