The first game on the MLB betting slate for Wednesday is Game 2 of the ALDS between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves.
The Braves will be looking to take a 2-0 lead in the series following their 9-5 win on Tuesday afternoon, and oddsmakers expect them to do just that, installing them as -200 favorites for the second game of the best-of-five series.
We break down the baseball odds and bring our best Marlins vs. Braves Game 2 picks and predictions for MLB playoff action on Wednesday, October 7 (2:08 p.m. ET).
Miami Marlins vs Atlanta Braves betting preview
MLB Playoff Series Prices
Marlins: +600
Braves: -900
Starting Pitchers
Pablo Lopez RHP (Regular Season: 6-4, 3.61 ERA) vs Ian Anderson RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
The 24-year-old Lopez had a rough year in 2019 but bounced back with a strong season for the Marlins in 2020, pitching to a 1.19 WHIP and holding opponents to a batting average of .230. In his last three starts, he allowed just three runs and eight hits in 17 1-3 innings of work.
The Braves' top pitching prospect and the third overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, Anderson had an impressive rookie campaign this season, going 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over six starts. He has an impressive four-seam fastball and changeup but has struggled with his control at times.
Anderson made his postseason debut against Cincinnati last week and pitched an absolute gem, allowing two hits and zero runs while striking out nine across six innings.
Weather
It's expected to be another hot and beautiful afternoon at Minute Maid Park in Houston, with temperatures of 82 degrees and a breeze of 6.5 mph blowing in from right field to left field. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Moneyline Pick
You might remember Lopez as the Marlins' starter in that ridiculous 29-9 Braves victory last month, but if you remove that ugly performance, you'll find that Lopez has actually been very good this year. Take away that outlier and Lopez pitched to a 2.59 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP in 10 starts, which included two very effective outings against Atlanta.
In Lopez's last start on September 24, he went five scoreless innings and allowed just two hits against the Braves. And back on August 14, he fanned eight Atlanta batters across six innings in an 8-2 Marlins victory.
While Anderson's numbers have been solid as a rookie, it's been a small sample size, and he wasn't particularly impressive in either of his two starts against Miami. Anderson was the losing pitcher in that game on September 24 and also struggled in a previous start against the Marlins, walking four batters and allowing two runs before getting the hook after three innings.
The Marlins were certainly competitive against the Braves during the regular season going 4-6 and look like solid value as underdogs on Wednesday.
PREDICTION: Miami (+170)
Over/Under Pick
The Marlins finished the regular season 21st in the majors in scoring (4.38 runs per game) and 17th in batting average. While those numbers aren't great, they aren't downright terrible either which makes Miami's team total of 3.5 on Wednesday worth looking at.
We already mentioned Anderson's struggles with control and his mediocre track record against Miami but Atlanta simply isn't that great when it comes to pitching anymore. These aren't the days of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, with the Braves ranked 15th in the majors in runs allowed this season at 4.80 per game.
The Marlins have also scored four or more runs against Atlanta in eight of 11 meetings this year.
PREDICTION: Miami Team Total Over 3.5 (+100)
Marlins vs Braves betting card
- Miami (+170)
- Miami Team Total Over 3.5 (+100)
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