The Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park Friday for the second game of a four-game divisional series.
The Braves beat the Phillies 7-2 in the series opener on Thursday, so you should expect some intensity from the home team tonight to even things up and keep pace for second in the National League East.
Can Philadelphia even this series up against Atlanta tonight? Continue reading our Braves vs. Phillies MLB betting picks and predictions, for Friday, July 23, to find out.
Braves vs Phillies game info
• Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
• Date: Friday, July 23, 2021
• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Southeast, NBCSP
Braves vs Phillies odds
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Braves vs Phillies betting preview
Starting pitchers
Max Fried (7-5, 4.29 ERA): Fried hasn’t faced the Phillies since his first start of the season, when he gave up two earned runs in five innings of work. The lefty struck out eight batters in that game and comes into this meeting with Philadelphia after a seven-inning shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 17. Fried hasn’t been very consistent this season but he has still shown that he can be unhittable when he’s on his game.
Zack Wheeler (7-5, 2.44 ERA): Wheeler is in the midst of the best season of his career, but he has had some rough outings in his last two trips to the mound. The righty has given up four earned runs in back-to-back starts, and he knows he needs to be better against this Braves team. He should be fine though, as in three starts against Atlanta this year, he’s 1-1 with a 1.37 ERA.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Braves: Ender Inciarte OF (Out), Ronald Acuna Jr. OF (Out), Marcell Ozuna OF (Out), Travis d’Arnaud C (Out).
Phillies: Bryce Harper OF (Questionable), Alec Bohm 3B (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Braves are 1-5 in their last six games as road underdogs. Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Phillies.
Moneyline pick
The Phillies are eighth in the league in batting average against left-handed pitchers and they’re also tied for first in batting average on balls in play (BAbip) against lefties. Simply put: this Philadelphia team makes good contact and is effective against southpaws, which means they should be in good shape against Fried tonight.
Some guys on this Phillies roster have really given Fried trouble in the past, with J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper standing out. Realmuto is 9 for 20 with five extra-base hits (two homers) and six RBIs against Fried in his career. Meanwhile, Harper is 5 for 15 with two homers and three RBIs against the lefty. Don’t be surprised if either one of them gets it going at the plate tonight, and the same goes for Odubel Herrera, who is 3 for 4 with a double and a homer in limited meetings with Fried.
As for Wheeler, the righty has been great against the Braves this season, and he now faces them without Acuna Jr., one of the league’s best hitters. He might not shut them out tonight, but he should give his team a chance to win.
PREDICTION: Phillies (-156)
Over/Under pick
While these starters are both very good, they can’t be counted on to consistently be their usual dominant selves.
Fried is coming off a stellar start against the Rays, but the lefty is just 2-2 with a 6.43 ERA on the road this season. He has regularly gotten beaten up by opposing lineups this year and he could have some trouble again in this one.
Meanwhile, Wheeler has emerged as the ace of the Phillies staff, but he is coming off of two bad starts in a row. He also happens to be just 2-5 with a 3.15 ERA when pitching at night this year, as opposed to 5-0 with a 1.40 ERA in day games.
This probably isn’t a game in which the teams combine to score for over 10 runs, but it’s just hard to envision them not totaling eight or nine.
PREDICTION: Over 7.5 (-114)
Braves vs Phillies betting card
- Phillies ML (-156)
- Over 7.5 (-114)
Picks made on 7/23/2021 at 8:36 a.m. ET
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