Braves’ NL Pennant Odds Continue to Improve After Winning Series Against Cardinals and Brewers

• The Atlanta Braves have overcome a recent run of inconsistency with nine wins in their past 12 outings
• The Braves now trail the Philadelphia Phillies by just 1.5 games in the race for first place in a weak NL East
• While the Dodgers remain short +190 favorites to repeat as NL champions, the red-hot Cubs continue to offer the most value

A six-run second inning was all the Atlanta Braves need to seal a 9-2 win over the San Francisco Giants as -157 road chalk on Wednesday. With the victory, the Braves have now won nine of 12 to pull to within 1.5 games of the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East standings, with the club now joining the favorites with +850 NL Pennant odds.

2019 National League Pennant Odds

Odds taken 05/23/19.

Braves Bats Powering Current Rise in Standings, Odds

The Braves have fueled their current surge with steady production at the plate. Atlanta hitters have tallied 6.33 runs per game over the club’s past 12 outings, lifting the Braves to the top of the NL team stats entering Thursday’s action, with a .260 batting average.

The club has also settled down defensively, holding opponents to three or fewer runs in 10 of their past 13 contests after surrendering seven or more runs in nine of their previous 20 outings.

Max Fried has received 59 runs of support while on the mound this season, most in the NL.#Braves offense has given Fried at least four runs in eight of his ten starts this season.@680TheFan https://t.co/Mvlv6sJsfG

— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) May 23, 2019

Southpaw Max Fried is enjoying a breakthrough season anchoring the Braves rotation, surrendering just five total earned runs over 17.0 innings of work while earning winning decisions in three straight starts. He now leads all NL pitchers with seven victories on the season.

Braves Help Their Own Cause with Series Wins Over Brewers, Cards

The Braves have also helped their own cause by taking two of three in each of their recent series against the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals, two teams they had been trailing on the NL pennant odds as recently as the early May.

The club’s series win over St. Louis has contributed to the Cardinals’ steady fall out of contention in the NL Central, and subsequent tumble from a short +570 bet to their current position as a +1200 wager to claim the NL Pennant.

WALK-OFF HR @Braves!!!!

Atlanta takes game 2 over the Brewers in the bottom of the 10th! pic.twitter.com/kPyZdgMtTX

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 19, 2019

Two wins in three home dates with the hard-hitting Brewers have also helped the Braves continue their rapid climb on the NL Pennant oddsboard from their position at +1200 in early May, while leaving Milwaukee stalled at +750.

But have the Braves done enough to ease concerns over their early-season inconsistency while earning them the mantle of NL championship contender?

Youngsters Leading Atlanta’s Resurgence

There is lots to love about this young Braves squad. In addition to Fried, Mike Soroka has exceeded expectation in his rookie campaign, racking up a 5-1 record while surrendering just five total earned runs over his first seven starts.

"I'm just trying to be consistent every single day."@Braves rookie Mike Soroka owns a 1.01 ERA through seven starts. pic.twitter.com/3qXywcI5y7

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) May 21, 2019

Freddie Freeman continues to anchor the Braves offense, hitting .325 with 12 home runs, while outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. looks poised to easily surpass his impressive rookie numbers from last season with 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and five stolen bases.

During his current 8-game hitting streak, #Braves 1B Freddie Freeman is slashing .424/.486/.909 with 14 hits, 5 HR, 8 RBI, 7R and 4BB. Atlanta is 6-2 during that stretch.

— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) May 23, 2019

With the NL East emerging as arguably the weakest division in baseball, opportunity knocks for the Braves to return to the postseason for a second straight year. However, with the club only on pace to win 88 games, they have yet to prove they can keep pace with the top two teams in the NL, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.

Dodgers, Cubs Remain Teams to Beat

The Braves were outclassed in a three-game series at Dodger Stadium earlier this month, getting outscored by a 23-7 margin while getting swept in three-game set by a Los Angeles squad that has earned its position as short +190 favorites to repeat as NL champs with a league-best offense and 32-18 record.

The Cubs have clearly overcome the consistency issues of last season despite once again dealing with a host of injuries.

Atlanta enjoyed a three-game sweep of the Cubs during the first week of the season, contributing to Chicago’s dismal 3-9 start. However, the Cubs have clearly overcome the consistency issues of last season despite once again dealing with a host of injuries that have sidelined star shortstop Javy Baez, and pitchers Brandon Morrow and Pedro Strop.

The Cubs are a sparkling 26-9 in their past 35 since stumbling out of the gate, and while the absence of Morrow and Strop may force them to look for bullpen upgrades on the trade market, the contributions they have been getting from across the lineup make them an attractive value pick at +525 to once again claim the NL Pennant.

Pick: Chicago Cubs (+525)