Atlanta Braves vs Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction, Preview and Odds - 06/02/2023

Game Time: 9:40 pm ET, Friday, June 2, 2023

Venue:  Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ

Where to Watch:  BSAZ

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Braves -125, D-Backs +105; Over/Under:  9 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Braves -125, D-Backs +105; Over/Under:  9 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Braves -125, D-Backs +105; Over/Under:  9 runs

Atlanta Braves:  33-23 (1st place, NL East)

Arizona Diamondbacks:  33-23 (2nd place, NL West)

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Atlanta Braves:  4-6 last 10

Arizona Diamondbacks:  7-3 last 10

The Braves are entering this game off of a win in their last game but lost their 3-game series against the Oakland Athletics 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 33-23 record overall and have a road record of 18-9. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the D-Backs on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 4th in the MLB with a .786 OPS. Jared Shuster was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Charlie Morton is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 5-5 with a 3.59 ERA this season. His team lost their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 ER, 0 HR, and 4 BB with 9 Ks on 7 hits through 5.1 IP against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Diamondbacks are entering this game on a 4 game winning streak but lost their 3-game series against the Boston Red Sox 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 33-23 record overall and have a home record of 18-12. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Braves on Friday with the series finale of their series against the Colorado Rockies still to be played on Thursday. Their offense ranks 7th in the MLB with a .758 OPS. Zach Davies is their starting pitcher on Thursday while Merrill Kelly is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA this season. His team won their last 3 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 earned run, 0 homers, and 2 BB with 10 strikeouts on 4 hits through 6.1 innings played against the Boston Red Sox.

The current betting odds have the Diamondbacks listed as a slight underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Diamondbacks have been red hot this season as they are off to a great start and are challenging the Dodgers for the lead of the NL East. They have also been playing really well lately as they roll into this series with a lot of wins over the last few days. They are entering this series with a lot of momentum from their win streak while the Braves have the same record as the D-Backs but haven't been playing well lately at all. The Braves just lost their last series to the A's who are pretty much a AAA team and they aren't going to have a lot of confidence here as the D-Backs also have one of the best offenses in the league. They are also starting Kelly in this game who has pitched really well over the past few seasons and has continued to pitch well in his starts this year. Morton is starting for the Braves though and he has not only been really up and down over the past few seasons but he has also been shaky in his starts this year. The D-Backs have a top 10 offense right now and are red hot coming into this series, they are going to put up runs at home while the Braves struggle after struggling in their last series against the worst team in the MLB. The best way to place a bet here is on the Diamondbacks to win this game.

Braves Diamondbacks Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Friday, June 2, 2023 (9:40 pm ET start time) is Diamondbacks 5 Braves 2.

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Atlanta Braves: 79-48 (+18 units) on the moneyline after 3 or more consecutive road games. 114-85 (+15.1 units) on the moneyline in road games. 12-2 OVER after a game where the bullpen gave up no earned runs. 11-6 OVER after allowing 2 runs or less. 

Arizona Diamondbacks: 159-221 (-25.3 units) on the moneyline in all games. 114-150 (-14.9 units) on the moneyline against right-handed starters. 26-19 OVER when playing with a day off.

Atlanta Braves:  M. Tonkin (SP) Mid June - Neck. E. Adrianza (2B) Early July - Shoulder. M. Fried (SP) Late June - Forearm. D. Lee (SP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. K. Wright (SP) Mid July - Shoulder. T. Matzek (RP) out for season - Elbow. K. Allard (SP) Mid June - Oblique. H. Ynoa (SP) out for season - Elbow.

Arizona Diamondbacks:  A. Misiewicz (RP) Mid June - Calf. K. Lewis (RF) Early June - Illness. C. Kelly (C) Mid June - Forearm. M. Melancon (RP) Late July - Shoulder. J. Mantiply (RP) Mid June - Hamstring. C. Sulser (RP) Mid June - Shoulder. C. Martin (SP) out for season - Shoulder.

“These guys deserve this off day. This is a rough go here with all the teams we played. Coming out here, I’m not making excuses but that did probably punch us in the gut a little bit.” - Brian Snitker after his team’s win against the Athletics in their game on Wednesday.

“We’re in a good spot. We’re a good baseball team with a lot to prove. We’ve worked hard to put ourselves in this position.” - Torey Lovullo after his team’s win against the Rockies in their game on Wednesday.

Ronald Acuna Jr. (R) RF

Matt Olson (L) 1B

Austin Riley (R) 3B

Travis d'Arnaud (R) C

Marcell Ozuna (R) DH

Eddie Rosario (L) LF

Ozzie Albies (S) 2B

Orlando Arcia (R) SS

Michael Harris II (L) CF

Pavin Smith (L) DH

Ketel Marte (S) 2B

Corbin Carroll (L) CF

Christian Walker (R) 1B

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (R) LF

Josh Rojas (L) 3B

Gabriel Moreno (R) C

Jake McCarthy (L) RF

Geraldo Perdomo (S) SS

Batting Average:  Ronald Acuna (.324)

Hits:  Ronald Acuna (72)

Home Runs:  Matt Olson (17)

RBI:  Matt Olson (42)

Stolen Bases:  Ronald Acuna (23)

Wins:  Charlie Morton (5)

Saves:  A.J. Minter (7)

ERA:  Dereck Rodriguez (0.00)

Batting Average:  Emmanuel Rivera (.338)

Hits:  Lourdes Gurriel (59)

Home Runs:  Christian Walker (12)

RBI:  Christian Walker (35)

Stolen Bases:  Corbin Carroll (16)

Wins:  Zac Gallen (7)

Saves:  Andrew Chafin (8)

ERA:  Miguel Castro (2.22)

Managers:

Atlanta Braves: Brian Snitker (8th season)

Arizona Diamondbacks: Torey Lovullo (7th season)