The Oakland Athletics (23-35) travel to face off against the Atlanta Braves (31-23) on Friday, May 31st. This game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta and televised on NSPCA. Both the Athletics and Braves are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 6:20 CT.
Athletics vs Braves
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 two runs in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Rays scored twice in the bottom of the first.
Oakland started Hogan Harris, and he took the loss, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one earned run. However, the Athletics 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.
Oakland is on the road today to take on the Braves, having dropped two straight games and are 23-35 overall. The Athletics are 4th in the AL West, trailing the Mariners by eight games. So far, they have really struggled against other AL West teams, going just 5-12 this year.
As the underdog, the Athletics are 17-33 this year compared to 6-2 as the favorite. They have dropped two straight as the road underdog and are 10-19 as the underdog on the road. Oakland’s overall series record is 7-10-1, and they lost two straight series before taking the series vs. the Rockies two series ago.
When the Athletics are on the road this season, they have been a good bet to cover the run line, going 15-14. They have covered in three straight games and have a run line record of 28-30 overall. They have been a better bet to cover the run line as the underdog, going 26-24.
When the Oakland Athletics are on the road, the over/under line for their games is set at an average of 8 runs, and their games have averaged a combined 8.6 runs per game this season. The over/under record for their games this season is 27-29, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, their over/under record is 7-9. Only 10.3% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher, with just 6 of their games having higher lines this season.
JP Sears Gets The Start For The Athletics
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 season and has a record of 4-3 with a 3.88 ERA. In his 11 appearances, he has turned in four quality starts. Sears’ most recent outing was a good one, as he picked up the win vs. the Astros, going six innings and giving up just one earned run. Before that, he had given up at least four earned runs in three straight outings. Sears has been much better on the road, coming in with a 1-2 record and 4.40 ERA compared to 3-1 with a 4.09 ERA at home.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Athletics are batting just .222 this season, which is 22nd in the league. However, they do have the 4th most home runs in the league and are 6th in isolated power. Overall, they are averaging 3.7 runs per game, and on the road, that number drops to just 3 runs per contest. For the season, they are averaging 4.5 runs per game at home.
Abraham Toro has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/37 in his last eight games. This has Toro’s season average up to .290, and he is currently on a five-game hitting streak. Brent Rooker has been the team’s top power threat, as his 11 homers are 7th in the league. He also leads the team with 35 RBIs.
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 was the Nationals’ bullpen that closed things out, and the Braves couldn’t score a run in the 8th or 9th. Atlanta was the -189 favorite at home going into the game.
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 also issued two walks in thejson to the Nationals.
With a record of 31-23, the Braves are 2nd in the NL East, trailing the Phillies by 6.5 games. The Braves dropped the final two games of their series vs. the Nationals and are just 4-6 over their last 10 games.
So far, the Braves have gone 11-8 in divisional matchups. At home, they are 17-11 compared to 14-12 on the road. As the favorite, the Braves have gone 30-20 this season and just 1-3 as the underdog. Atlanta has an overall series record of 11-6-1 and lost two straight series at home.
When the Braves are favored, they are 24-26 against the run line, but as an underdog, they are 3-1. Their average run differential is +0.7, and they are 27-27 against the run line overall. At home, they are 12-16 against the run line, while on the road, they are 15-11. Their average run differential at home is +0.1, and on the road, it is +1.3. In games they have won, their average run differential is +3.7, while in losses, it is -3.4. They have failed to cover the run line in their last two games and have failed to cover the run line in their last two games when favored.
The Braves are playing at home today against the Oakland Athletics. The over/under line for today’s game is set at 8.5 runs, which is lower than their combined run average of 8.2 runs per game. The Braves have an over/under record of 19-33 on the season, and their games have averaged a line of 9 runs per game. When the line has been set at 8.5 runs, their over/under record is 5-10. So far this season, 46.3% of their games have had higher lines than 8.5 runs, while 25.9% have had lower lines.
Reynaldo López Gets The Start For The Braves
Through nine starts, Reynaldo López has a record of 2-2 and an ERA of 1.75 for the Braves. He has made five quality starts this year and is averaging 8.24 strikeouts per nine innings. In his most recent outing, López took the loss, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up two earned runs on five hits. Before that, he had gone 6 1/3 innings in back-to-back outings and didn’t give up more than two earned runs in either of those starts. López has been much better at home, coming in with an ERA of 1.16 compared to 2.69 on the road.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 16 home runs are 2nd in the MLB and the best mark on the Braves. He is also 2nd in the league in RBIs, with 49. Ozuna is also leading the Braves with a batting average of .312. Ozzie Albies has also been hot of late, going 8/17 in his last five games and is currently on a six-game hitting streak.
As a team, the Braves are 9th in the league in scoring at 4.5 runs per game. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .249, which is 7th in the league.
Athletics vs Braves Prediction
Our predicted final score for this matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Braves. However, we are actually recommending that you take the over, as we see the Braves and Athletics combining for more than 8.5 runs.
If you’re looking for a money line pick, we would go with the Braves, but at -229, the payout isn’t great. Looking at the starting pitchers, Reynaldo Lopez is projected to pick up six strikeouts, and you could look to take him in the strikeout markets.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 31, 2024 Athletics, Braves