A weekend battle between division leaders continues on Saturday’s baseball betting slate in Atlanta where the Braves host the San Francisco Giants.
San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves
Saturday, August 28, 2021 – 07:20 PM EDT at Truist Park
Thanks to Atlanta’s surge in the standings, this series with San Francisco is far more meaningful than it was just a month ago. The Giants have been blowing and going all season as the biggest surprise of 2021, their 83-44 record entering the weekend tops in the majors and good enough for a 2½-game lead in the NL West.
The Braves were under .500 at the end of July, and have since soared to a 5½-game lead in the NL East. Logan Webb (7-3, 2.84) is inked in as San Francisco’s starter on Saturday while Drew Smyly (9-3, 4.54) is penciled in for Atlanta. Once online betting sites release numbers, look for a fairly tight moneyline and a total in the 8½-9 range.
Giants Lineup Thinned by Injuries and Illness
San Francisco entered Friday’s series opener with a 5-game win streak after sweeping the Mets in New York earlier this week. The Giants outscored the Mets 14-4 in the 3-game broom job, but reach Atlanta with a few key players battling illness, injury and personal trouble. Donovan Solano had a positive virus test on Thursday, and will miss this series and most of not all of next week’s games. Buster Posey has a sore left knee and missed the final two games in New York. The 7-time All-Star was listed as day-to-day. In addition to those two, Brandon Belt was placed on the bereavement list and it is not known when he will rejoin the club.
One of baseball’s best-kept secrets the past couple of months, Webb has pitched San Francisco to winning MLB scores his last three times out, and 10 of his last 11 assignments. The lone loss in that span was a few weeks back in Milwaukee where Webb tossed six innings of 1-run baseball for a no-decision, the Brewers eventually winning 2-1 in 10 innings. He beat the Braves in Atlanta late in the 2019 campaign, Webb’s only career start against them.
Freeman, Riley Powering Braves Lineup
Atlanta started the weekend in a 2-game rut after being swept by the red-hot Yankees in a short series to begin this homestand. The Braves had won nine in a row before that and have gone 16-5 in August to gain control of the NL East. They outscored the opposition 63-25 during the win streak, and have been paced at the plate this month by Freddie Freeman, who is batting .329 in August with 4 HR and 11 RBI, and Austin Riley (.356-5-15).
Not to be outdone by his mound opponent, Smyly is also enjoying a solid run against the MLB betting odds. Though his ERA for the month is 5.21, the Braves have won all four of his starts and 12 of his last 13. He served up three homers last Saturday in Baltimore, but they were all solo shots and Smyly earned the dubya in a 5-4 final. Long balls have been an issue for the lefty, Smyly touched up for 23 on the season and now going up against a San Francisco team that leads the majors in home runs.
Smyly last faced the Giants in 2019 while he was with Philadelphia, and the Phillies won both of his starts against them that season while he fashioned a 2.84 ERA in a 11.2 innings. His home/road splits this year are fairly level, Smyly pitching to a 4.46 ERA at Truist Park with the Braves winning three of the eight assignments.
Rivalry Trends, Mother Nature and a Free Pick
Though the rivalry may span five cities and date back to the 19th century, this weekend is the first time the two sides have collided in more than 23 months. The Braves have dominated the Giants in recent years by winning eight of the last 10 matchups before Friday, and the last four series in Atlanta have run 5-7 O/U on the totals board.
Bettors will want to get an update on the forecast before going to the window, but everything looks fine some 36 hours ahead of Saturday’s contest. Partly cloudy skies with muggy temps in the mid-80s are expected at game time, with a light ESE breeze (in from right-center). This should be a great weekend of baseball in Atlanta, and with both Saturday pitchers on good winning runs, something has to give. I’ll back Webb and San Francisco with my free MLB pick in this potential playoff preview.
MLB Pick: Giants +102 with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
