Braves vs Phillies | Prediction & Pick

vs.

Atlanta Braves (18-15) vs Philadelphia Phillies (21-9)
May 6, 2011  at 7:05 PM EST on MLB Network

Pitching Probables: Derek Lowe vs Cliff Lee

Spread: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5
Money Line: Braves +132 / Phillies -142
Over/Under: 7.5

Click Here for more Free Expert MLB Baseball Picks

The Marlins may be off to a hot start but most believe it will come down to the Braves and Phillies when all is said and done in the National League East.  The Braves start their second series of the season with Philadelphia looking to gain back some ground they lost when Philly won two out of three in Atlanta last month.  Derek Lowe started the rubber match of that set and was effective but ultimately the loser to Cole Hamels 3-0.  Atlanta comes into the city of Brotherly Love on a hot streak with 5 straight wins.  They dominated Milwaukee not giving up more than three runs in any of their four game series.  Lowe didn’t pitch in the series but was on the mound when their winning streak started against St. Louis.  He has very good numbers at Citizen Bank Park (4-2, 2.296 ERA)

The Phillies just swept the Nationals and are 5-1 on their current homestand.  They are tied for the best record in baseball but actually seem to be flying below the radar because expectations were pretty lofty for this team before the season started.  Especially  so for today’s starter Cliff Lee whose ERA is higher than expected despite great peripherals (44k vs 6 BBs).  Lee hasn’t been great vs. Atlanta in the past and his outing against the Braves last month was his worst of the season.  It is somewhat surprising given that many of the Braves best hitters are lefties.  In that loss Chipper Jones was a force with three RBIs.  Prior to that Lee owned Jones so maybe it was just an off day for the big free agent acquisition.

The odds makers have the Philadelphia Phillies as a -1.5 point favorite with an run total of 7.5.

Check out the latest MLB Baseball Odds here.

Prediction: Two hot teams collide but Phillies will continue their winning ways.  The should build a little more breathing space between them and Atlanta throughout the weekend.

Score Prediction: Philadelphia – 7 / Atlanta – 2

Need more help making your picks winners? Check out our top  handicappers.

Bet on the Braves/Phillies game using your credit card and to get a generous 55% sign up bonus at one of the player’s favorite online sportsbooks: BetUS.

Atlanta Braves Betting Trends:

• The total has gone OVER in 10 of Atlanta’s last 12 games
• Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 5 games on the road
• Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road

Philadelphia Phillies Betting Trends:

• Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
• Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia’s last 6 games when playing Atlanta
• Philadelphia is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Atlanta