Phillies vs. Braves Predictions, Picks, Odds & Starting Pitchers: Today, 4/8
As Atlanta Braves fans have gotten accustomed to, their marquee matchups are ones featured on TBS. That’s exactly what we get to enjoy tonight with them hosting the Philadelphia Phillies. With the series opener of a classic NL East rivalry on deck, we’ve got our best Phillies vs. Braves predictions for you.
That also means a best bet from our Phillies vs. Braves picks, and we’ll wrap it all up with a guaranteed Sleeper Fantasy promo code bonus!
Phillies vs. Braves Predictions For MLB on TBS, 4/8
Right off the bat, we know that the records of these two teams would suggest that this isn’t exactly a rivalry. In fact, it’s actually a battle of best vs. worst with Philly leading the division at 7-2 and the Braves at the bottom of the barrel at 1-8.
You could even make the argument that this is a battle of best vs. worst in terms of the entire MLB. Not only was Atlanta the last team to earn a win this season, but the Phillies also just took down the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had been undefeated and considered the best team in baseball.
What can’t be argued is how exciting of a pitching matchup fans get to enjoy tonight. We’ve got a battle of aces with Phillies’ Zack Wheeler and Braves’ Chris Sale. Will it be the strikeout stud or lefty that gets the better of the matchup?
That’s what the best bet from our Phillies vs. Braves predictions is here to answer, and we’ll indeed be focusing on one of those aces!
Philadelphia Phillies: Dealing With The Dodgers
Nearly no team had looked to be in the same stratosphere as the Dodgers to open the 205 MLB season, regardless of how early on it is. However, hopefully you followed up for their series opener, as we noted that the Phillies were a team that had a lineup that could all but matchup that of LA’s.
That was proven last season with Philly’s impressive 5-1 record over the Dodgers, and they didn’t waste any time proving that was no fluke this season with their weekend series win over LA. They handed the Dodgers their only two losses of the young season, and it also means that the Phillies have just two losses heading into this series opener.
Atlanta Braves: Winless No Longer, But Still Struggling
While the talk of the first week or so of the MLB season was the Dodgers from a positive standpoint, it was the exact opposite for the Braves. While LA was already being labeled the best team ever, Atlanta started the year as bad as humanly possible with an 0-7 record, making them the last team to earn a victory.
They finally did so with a massive 10-0 win over the Marlins, but as mentioned, they followed that up with another loss to drop them to 1-8 and of course, keeping them at the bottom of the NL East. However, it wasn’t just another loss - the Braves followed up their lone win by then getting shutout themselves.
How To Watch Phillies vs. Braves Today
We made sure to point out this matchup being a featured one of TBS, but we’ve still got you covered with all the details of how to watch Phillies vs. Braves today:
- Where: Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia
- When: 7:15 PM ET on 4/8
- Watch on TV: TBS
- Where to stream: Fubo, MLB.TV
Phillies vs. Braves Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
Before we get into the best bet from our Phillies vs. Braves picks on a player prop, we’ll add to the player pick ‘ems at Sleeper Fantasy, we’ve also got you covered with the latest Phillies vs. Braves odds:
- Run Line: Philadelphia Phillies +1.5 (-200) vs. Atlanta Braves -1.5 (+165)
- Money Line: Philadelphia Phillies (+100) vs. Atlanta Braves (-120)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 7 (-115) vs. Under 7 (-105)
Phillies vs. Braves Best Bet: Zack Wheeler Over 7.5 Strikeouts (Get The Best Player Picks At Sleeper Fantasy)
With Atlanta having lefty ace Chris Sale on the mound AND being at home, in just about any other situation, the Phillies vs. Braves odds would have them as massive favorites. However, with their struggles, Philly’s success AND the Phillies starting ace Zack Wheeler, this series opener is no forgone conclusions.
In the same breath, the Phillies struggled mightily against their division rivals last year. That was particularly true for what we care about most - Philly went just 3-10 against the run line against Atlanta last year. Having said all that, we can still flip things the other way once again.
While Chris Sale is the reigning Cy Young winner AND Comeback Player of the Year, he’s been anything but dominant against the Phillies. With so many moving parts to this matchup, we have still found a spot that we absolutely love. That would be with the other ace on the mound tonight, Zack Wheeler.
He too as a Cy Young candidate last season, and rightfully so. He also has tons of history against the Braves, and in the best way possible. In 30 career appearances against Atlanta, Wheeler is 13-8 with a 2.95 ERA while living up to our label earlier of a strikeout stud.
Against the Braves, he has had fewer than seven strikeouts just once since 2021, which is a sample size of nine starts. In that same sample size, he’s also had double-digit strikeouts four times, including his most recent start against the Braves, which was a monster 12-strikeout performance!
Wheeler has also thrown 10 and eight strikeouts in his two starts this season. On top of all that, Atlanta may not be leading the league in strikeouts, but they’re still top 10 in that regard. Along with such great history against them, we’re taking Zach Wheeler over 7.5 strikeouts (over XX strikeouts at Sleeper Fantasy as well) as the best bet from our Phillies vs. Braves predictions.
Phillies vs. Braves Injury Report & Starting Pitchers
As far as Phillies vs. Braves injury news, Atlanta has already been eagerly awaiting the return of starter Spencer Strider, and they recently had to place fellow starter Reynaldo Lopez on the 60-day IL. They also expect Ronald Acuna to make his season debut sooner rather than later.
The same can also be said for Philly starter Ranger Suarez, who is a lefty that they’d love to have back in the rotation. We’ve already been putting emphasis on tonight’s pitching matchup, but with such an epic battle of aces, it never hurts to reiterate the Phillies vs. Braves starters for today:
- Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher today: Zack Wheeler (1-0, 1.38 ERA)
- Atlanta Braves starting pitcher today: Chris Sale (0-1, 5.40 ERA)
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Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.