Angels vs Braves Picks, Odds & Starting Pitchers (Aug. 2)
- The LA Angels are +124 road ‘dogs when they close out their series vs the Atlanta Braves Wednesday
- Atlanta has the best record in MLB, while the Angels are chasing a Wild Card berth
- Don’t miss the latest Angels vs Braves picks and starting pitchers below
In the thick of the AL Wild Card chase, the Los Angeles Angels (56-52, 27-29 away) will attempt to take the rubber match of a three-game set against baseball’s best team, the Atlanta Braves (68-37, 36-20 home).
After LA took the series opener Monday, Atlanta squared things up with a 5-1 win Tuesday, on the strength of another stellar outing from strikeout king Spencer Strider. Michael Harris II also went yard twice.
The Angels will try to become the third team to win a series in Atlanta since the all-star break, joining the White Sox and Diamondbacks.
LA and Atlanta kick off the Wednesday’s (Aug 2) MLB slate, with first pitch set for 12:20pm ET from Truist Park. You can watch the game live on MLB Network.
Angels vs Braves Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Angels | +124 | +1.5 (-155) | Ov 10.5 (-102) |
| Atlanta Braves | -148 | -1.5 (+130) | Un 10.5 (-118) |
The MLB odds have the hometown Braves as -148 favorites, an implied win probability of 59.68%. The total is set at 10.5 runs. The two teams have gone under in the first two meetings, though the over had gone 7-1 in their previous eight meetings.
LA starts Wednesday three games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the third and final Wild Card berth in the American League, with both the Mariners and Red Sox still in their path to third. They are 5.5 back of the Rangers in the AL West chase.
Atlanta owns the 2nd-best home record in the majors at 36-20, just one win back of the league-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Their 68 wins top the bigs, and no other team in the National League has yet to crack the 60-win plateau. They’re also the +340 favorites in the 2023 World Series odds.
SPORTSBOOK
Bet $5 & Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly + a No Sweat NBA SGP Every Day!
Odds as of Aug 1 at DraftKings. Be sure to use a DraftKings promo code to bet on Angels vs Braves Wednesday.
Probable Pitchers
Part of LA’s commitment to chase the playoffs and not trade all-world star Shohei Ohtani was to beef up the lineup. Lucas Giolito was one of those pickups, and the 2019 all-star will try to pick up his first win in his second start with the Halos.
His teams haven’t been on the winning side of his last five starts, dating back to when he won on June 28 — against the Angels.
Matt Chapman's 14th home run of the season was a rocket, 411 feet to bring the #BlueJays even: pic.twitter.com/75pHmez3Xo
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 28, 2023
Last time out, he lasted just 5.1 innings in a 4-1 loss to the Blue Jays. Giloito gave up six hits and three earned runs, including two homers, while walking one and striking out five.
Atlanta’s Eddie Rosario has 34 career at-bats vs Giolito, hitting .265 with a pair of dingers and three RBI. Nicky Lopez is hitting .200 in 25 ABs, while all other Braves hitters have less than six at-bats against him.
Giolito vs Chirinos Stats
| 6-7 | Record | 4-4 |
| 3.85 | ERA | 4.34 |
| 1.23 | WHIP | 1.28 |
| .304 | OBA | .319 |
| 3.16 | SO/W Ratio | 1.63 |
Yonny Chirinos is also making his second start with his new team, after being claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay. He’ll try to improve on a rough debut.
Although Atlanta won 10-7 against the Brewers, Chirinos lasted just 3.2 innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits, walking one and striking out three.
The Rays had lost in each of his last three starts, with Chirinos taking the loss in one. He hasn’t picked up a W since June 29, when he went six strong, giving up just one earned run in a 6-1 win over the Diamondbacks.
Only three Angels have at-bats against him, with two just picked up at the deadline. Edu Escoboar has one hit in two at-bats, which was a solo homer. Randall Grichuk has eight ABs, hitting .250 with a HR and two RBI.
Angels vs Braves Betting Prediction
The Braves are an offensive juggernaut, second in total runs in the majors, averaging 5.6 runs per game. They’re also great on the mound, ranking seventh in team ERA.
They’re also an MLB-best 46-21 when coming off a win. The Rays are the only other team to hit the 40-win plateau in that category.
Spencer Strider vs. Ohtani.
Round 1 goes to Quadzilla.
Strider's 200th K. Fastest to 200 Ks in history. Again. pic.twitter.com/LMDMVaM7tR
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 1, 2023
LA hasn’t had much impact from Ohtani, who’s gone 3-for-7 in the series so far, with no home runs or RBI. He struck out twice on Tuesday. The Angels aren’t slouches offensively, as they put up 4.94 runs per game, while fourth in OBP and fourth in slugging percentage.
With two pitchers trying to find their form, perhaps this is the time the bats come to life.
Pick: OVER 10.5 runs (-102)
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOKBET $5 ON MLB & GET $200 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!
- FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
BET $5 & GET $150 IF YOUR BET WINS!
- BETMGM SPORTSBOOK
GET UP TO $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS!
- BET365 SPORTSBOOK
BET $1 & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS!
- CAESARS SPORTSBOOK
GET UP TO $1,000 BACK - ON CAESARS!
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
