Oakland Athletics vs Atlanta Braves Betting Pick & Prediction 5/31/24
From Truist Park in Atlanta, we have the Athletics and Braves facing off in an interleague matchup. First pitch for this one is set for 7:20 PM ET. NSPCA is carrying this one on TV.
The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs, and the Braves are heavy favorites on the money line, with their odds sitting at -229. The Athletics are +189 underdogs, and their money line odds are +1.5 (-111). Reynaldo Lopez is starting for the Braves, and the Athletics are going with JP Sears. Atlanta is 2nd in the NL East, while the Athletics are 4th in the AL West.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS VS ATLANTA BRAVES BETTING PICK
The Pick: OVER 8.5 Runs
This game will be played at Truist Park at 7:20 ET on Friday, May 31st.
HOW TO BET THE ATHLETICS VS BRAVES:
- We have the Braves winning by a score of 5 to 4
- However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the Athletics to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over
Athletics Records & Stats
The Athletics wrapped up their series vs. the Rays with a 6-5 loss on the road. Oakland was the +136 underdog going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Athletics, as they got on the board with a four-run 3rd inning but couldn’t hold the lead. The Rays scored two runs in the 1st and added another two in the 3rd to pick up the win.
Oakland started Hogan Harris, and he took the loss, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one earned run. However, the Athletics bullpen couldn’t close things out, and Tyler Ferguson took the loss out of the bullpen. Shea Langeliers had a big game at the plate, going 2/5 with a homer and two RBIs.
With an overall record of 23-35, the Athletics are eight games behind the Mariners for the AL West lead. So far, they have really struggled against other AL West teams, going 5-12 this year. Oakland lost the final two games of their series vs. the Rays, and they are just 4-6 across their last 10 games.
At home, the Athletics are 13-16 this season compared to 10-19 on the road. As the underdog, the Athletics are 17-33 this year, and they have lost two straight as the underdog overall. Oakland’s series record is 7-10-1 this year, and they have dropped two straight series.
The Oakland Athletics are 15-14 on the run line on the road this season, and they have covered the run line in three straight road games. They are 26-24 on the run line as the underdog this season, with an average run differential of -1.6 runs per game away from home.
The Oakland Athletics are on the road today against the Atlanta Braves. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs, which is slightly lower than their combined run average of 8.6 runs per game. The A’s have an over/under record of 27-29 on the season, and their games have averaged an over/under line of 8 runs per game. When the line has been set at 8.5 runs, their over/under record is 7-9. Only 10.3% of their games have had higher over/under lines than today’s 8.5-run total.
Left-hander JP Sears gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces the Braves on the road. Sears has made 11 starts this year and has a record of 4-3 with a 3.88 ERA. So far, he has turned in four quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he gave up just one earned run in six innings of work. In that start, he gave up just two hits and issued one walk. Sears’ ERA for the season is 4.4 on the road compared to 4.09 at home. Overall, he has been pitching well lately, going 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last three outings.
One of the Athletics’ biggest issues this season has been their batting average, as they are hitting just .222 as a team, which is 22nd in the league. However, they have been good at hitting home runs, and their isolated power (ISO) of .160 is 6th in the MLB. As a team, they are averaging just 3.7 runs per game, and this number drops to 3 runs per game when playing on the road.
Abraham Toro and JJ Bleday have been swinging the bat well of late, with Toro going 10/37 in his last eight games, and Bleday is 9/34 in that stretch. However, Bleday has three homers in this stretch. Brent Rooker has been the A’s top power threat this season, as his 11 homers is 7th in the league, and he is also 12th in the MLB with 35 RBIs.
Braves Records & Stats
The Braves will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Nationals with a 3-1 loss. This was especially tough, as it closed out their series vs. Washington. Atlanta was the heavy favorite at -189 at home going into the game but fell behind early, as the Nationals scored three times in the third.
Ray Kerr got the start for the Braves and took the loss. He only lasted 3 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits. The Braves’s offense scored their only run in the 3rd and left Ozzie Albies stranded on third base. Albies went 2/3 with a double.
With a record of 31-23, the Braves are 2nd in the NL East, trailing the Phillies by 6.5 games. The Braves lost the final two games of their series vs. the Nationals, and they are just 4-6 over their last 10 games. So far, they have gone 11-8 in divisional games.
At home, the Braves are 17-11 this season compared to a 14-12 mark on the road. As the favorite, the Braves are 30-20 this season, and they are just 1-3 as the underdog. Atlanta has dropped two straight as the favorite, and their overall series record is 11-6-1. The Braves have lost two straight series.
When playing at home, the Braves are 12-16 against the run line, and their average run margin is just 0.1 runs per game. They have failed to cover the run line in each of their last two home games, and they are 24-26 against the run line as the favorite this season.
When the Braves play at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, which is lower than their season average of 9 runs per game. The Braves have an over/under record of 5-10 in games with an 8.5 run line, and their games have averaged 8.2 runs per game this season. Overall, the Braves have an over/under record of 19-33 this season.
Right-hander Reynaldo López gets the start for the Braves today and comes in with a record of 2-2 and an ERA of 1.75. So far, he has made five starts at home and has a record of 1-0 with a 1.16 ERA. López has been especially tough at home, as he has allowed just one earned run in four of his five home starts. Overall, he has turned in five quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he gave up two earned runs and took the loss in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without taking the loss.
Marcell Ozuna comes into the game as one of the league’s top power hitters, as his 16 home runs are 2nd in the MLB. He is also 2nd in the league in RBIs, with 49. Ozuna has been hot at the plate of late, as he is batting .312 for the season and is currently on a four-game hitting streak. Ozzie Albies has also been swinging a hot bat, going 8/17 in his last five games.
Overall, the Braves are 7th in the league in batting average and are averaging 4.5 runs per game. So far, they have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. As a team, they are 12th in home runs and have the 7th best on-base percentage in the league.