An NL East rivalry will be renewed on Tuesday night as the Philadelphia Phillies battle the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.
The Phillies took two of three from the Braves at Citizens Bank Park last week before sweeping the Pirates in a four-game set to build a five-game winning streak.
The Braves recovered from their series loss to Philly by sweeping the Diamondbacks in a three-game weekend series.
Who will stay hot in Atlanta? Find out in our free MLB picks and predictions for Phillies vs Braves on Tuesday, August 2.
Phillies vs Braves odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Braves opened as heavy consensus favorites of -212, and bettors have knocked them down 13 to 28 cents at the majority of sportsbooks. The total was unveiled at 8, and while some sites have held firm to that number, others have raised it to 8.5. Shopping around will be vital for total bettors.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until first pitch and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Phillies vs Braves predictions
Picks made on 8/2/2022 at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2022 MLB season, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users can get a no-sweat first bet (up to $1,000) at FanDuel! Sign Up Now
B) New users can get two risk-free bets up to $2,000 at PointsBet! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only
Phillies vs Braves game info
• Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
• Date: Tuesday, August 2, 2022
• First pitch: 7:20 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports South
Phillies vs Braves betting preview
Starting pitchers
Nick Nelson (3-1, 3.94 ERA): Nick Nelson will get the starting nod for Philadelphia on Tuesday in what appears to be a bullpen game. Nelson previously opened for Philly on July 7, pitching two scoreless innings against the Nationals. He’s been idle since July 26, but his 1.59 ERA over eight appearances in July (11 1-3 innings) stands out.
Spencer Strider (5-3, 2.91 ERA): Spencer Strider recorded his fourth quality start over his last six chances when he held the Phillies to one run over six frames on July 26. Strider has maintained a high strikeout rate (13.4 per nine innings) while keeping the ball in the park (five homers allowed over 80 1-3 innings) in his rookie season.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 5-0-1 in the Braves’ last six games against NL East opponents. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Braves
Phillies vs Braves picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The thought of a Phillies bullpen game would’ve sent a shudder up the spine of their fans just a year or two ago, but now this unit is capable of helping a sizable road upset over the Braves on Tuesday night.
Bullpen games typically follow some sort of secret script, and in this case, Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson will be able to draft that script exactly the way he wants it thanks to a day off on Monday.
Opener Nick Nelson has had a week to rest and recuperate from his most recent outing and has pitched at least two innings in 15 of his 27 appearances this season, so bettors should expect to record at least six outs in this spot. Based on his 1.59 ERA in July, Nelson should negotiate the Braves lineup fairly well.
Not counting a Jeurys Familia blow-up on July 28 (five earned runs and only one out recorded), Phillies relievers have pitched to a 1.59 ERA over their last seven games (22 2-3 innings). It’s been a balanced effort led by Seranthony Dominguez, who’s recorded two saves over three appearances in that stretch.
Brad Hand and Corey Knebel combined to allow only one earned run over 19 innings of work in July, so both figure to get an inning of work in if this game is close late.
The Phillies have plated seven or more runs in three of their last five affairs, including Sunday’s 8-2 triumph over Pittsburgh, and Philly is 17-5 in its last 22 games after scoring five or more runs in their previous tilt.
This isn’t the only trend working in the Phils’ favor, as they’re also 7-0 in their last seven road games, and 12-4 in their last 16 series-opening contests.
The Braves are 2-5 in their last seven games against teams with winning records, so don’t settle for a short price with Atlanta. Take the Phillies at these generous odds instead.
Prediction: Phillies moneyline (+200 at WynnBET)
Over/Under analysis
Both of these offenses are in fine fettle at the moment, so bettors should lean toward the Over in this clash.
The Phillies were held to one run over six frames when they faced Braves starter Spencer Strider last Tuesday, but the rookie hurler had a leg-up as his opponents didn’t really know what the ball would look like coming out of his hand. Philly’s bats should be better prepared this time around.
J.T. Realmuto, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos are all batting above .400 for the Phillies over the last week. Kyle Schwarber – second in the majors in home runs (33) this year – has four dingers to his credit since the All-Star break.
Atlanta’s Austin Riley is fresh off a monstrous month of July in which he hit .423 with 11 homers and 25 RBI. He brought his 2022 batting average up to .301 thanks to a second multi-hit game in three chances against the Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon.
Dansby Swanson recorded his third straight month with a .300 or better batting average, as he hit .308 in July. He should supply Riley with an RBI chance or two in this tilt.
Trend bettors should note that the Over is 5-1-1 in the Phillies’ last seven games against right-handed starters, and 5-1 in the Braves’ last six games with the total set between 7.0 and 8.5. These two teams have exceeded the total in 12 of their last 17 meetings in The Peach State.
Prediction: Over 8 (-113 at Unibet)
Best bet
Problems can often arise with the middle relievers when it comes to bullpen games, but the Phillies look to be well-equipped in that department.
Thomson could reach for either Connor Brogdon or Mark Appel once Nelson departs, or perhaps both. The former has had some stops and starts this year, one of which was due to a recent trip to the COVID IL, but he’s recorded 13 scoreless appearances over his last 15 tries, including a save against the Pirates on Friday.
Appel – the former No. 1 overall pick who finally made his MLB debut at age 31 this year – has been an inspiration, allowing only one run over his first nine innings of work.
Meanwhile, the Braves have had some recent issues building the bridge to closer Kenley Jansen, with A.J. Minter, Tyler Matzek, and Will Smith combining to allow nine earned runs over their last eight appearances (7 1-3 innings).
All of this suggests the Phillies are very live underdogs on Tuesday night.
Pick: Phillies moneyline (+200 at WynnBET)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s MLB Phillies vs. Braves picks, you could win $46.55 on a $10 bet?
Use our MLB parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
