Marlins (Lopez) vs Braves (Anderson) Game 2 Picks and Odds – Oct 7th
- The Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves play Game 2 of the NLDS on Wednesday, October 7th
- First pitch will be thrown soon after 2:00 pm ET
- Get the latest odds, betting analysis and a pick below
Game 2 of the NLDS between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves takes place on Wednesday, October 7th at Minute Maid Park. The game is scheduled to start just after 2:00 pm ET.
Pablo Lopez will take the mound for the Marlins, following Sandy Alcantara. It will be rookie Ian Anderson for the Braves, who owned a 1.95 ERA in the regular season.
The latest Marlins vs Braves odds are in the table below.
Miami Marlins vs Atlanta Braves Game 2 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Marlins | +194 | +1.5 (-118) | Over 8.5 (-122) |
| Atlanta Braves | -230 | -1.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (+100) |
Odds taken from FanDuel on October 7
Impressive Anderson
MLB Pipeline tabbed Ian Anderson as the 42nd-best prospect in baseball before this season. Anderson was the latest in a string of highly-rated arms from the Braves’ farm. Other young Atlanta pitchers have struggled when stepping up to the Majors, but Anderson has not. The 22-year-old right-hander has been pitching as well as anyone in baseball since making his debut on August 26th with a six-inning outing against the Yankees.
He comes into this game on the back of a gem in his post-season debut against the Cincinnati Reds, going six scoreless with nine strikeouts. Anderson has been dominant in his rookie year, but his starts against Miami have been pretty much the sole exception.
In two regular season games facing the Marlins, Anderson allowed five earned runs across eight and 2/3 innings. Atlanta lost both of those games. He gave up just six runs in the other 29 1/3 innings he pitched – the Marlins have been Anderson’s kryptonite in the early days of his Major League career.
If you fancy Anderson to dominate in Game 2, the Braves represent good value at +850 to win in a shutout.
Well-Rested Lopez
It’s a post-season debut for Marlins starter Pablo Lopez, who didn’t get involved in the Wild-Card series win over the Chicago Cubs. There was thought that Lopez could start Game 1, but the Marlins went with Sandy Alcantara for the NLDS opener.
Lopez hasn’t pitched in a game since September 24th, a five-inning effort against these Braves. He’s undoubtedly well-rested, but some will be wary of rustiness. Atlanta has seen a lot of Lopez throughout his three-year Major League career – he has faced the Braves more than any other opponent, including three starts in 2020.
Pablo Lopez gives a shoutout to the Marlins social media account for how they keep the players and fans connected even when they're away in the bubble: "They have really brought us closer to the Miami marlins community"
— Alex Krutchik (@AlexKrutchikFOF) October 6, 2020
A strong performance in late-September will have helped to eradicate the memory of a disastrous start earlier in the month. Lopez was blown out of the game after one and 2/3 innings by the Marlins, giving up seven runs and walking four.
There’s no mystery in this matchup. Lopez has to execute perfectly against a tough lineup.
Marte Absence
Starling Marte, Miami’s main addition at the trade deadline, is out for the NLDS with a non-displaced fracture of his pinky finger after being hit with a pitch in Game 1 of the Wild-Card series. This is a major blow to the Marlins’ offense.
Marte was a 109 wRC+ hitter in the regular season and stole 10 bases. Magneuris Sierra deputized in Game 2 of the Wild-Card series and Game 1 of the NLDS, going a combined three-for-seven. Despite useful production in the last two games, there’s no question that Sierra is a marked offensive downgrade – he posted 95 wRC+ in 19 games this year.
Braves Are Too Good
Game 1 was a thriller. Perhaps it was a sign that these two offenses are going to enjoy facing pitchers they have seen often throughout the season. Maybe the familiarity of Anderson and Lopez will make this a high-scoring game.
If that’s the case, it’s hard to see Miami winning this. Their offense cannot go toe-to-toe with the Braves’ lineup. Atlanta to win and over 6.5 total runs looks a good value option.
Pick: Atlanta Braves to win, over 6.5 total runs (+100)
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
