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Two of the top projected teams in the National League face off in the first matchup of a three-game series Monday when the Atlanta Braves visit the Los Angeles Dodgers. The reigning World Series champs are off to a 5-0 start after taking two games from the Chicago Cubs in Japan two weeks ago before pulling off a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers. The Braves, who have made the playoffs each of the last seven years, are 0-4 after getting swept by the San Diego Padres.
Grant Holmes is scheduled to start for Atlanta while Tyler Glasnow will make his first start of the year for Los Angeles. It will be Holmes’ first career start after making 26 appearances as a reliever for the Braves as a rookie last year. He’s made one appearance already this season, pitching one scoreless inning of relief against the Padres while picking up two strikeouts. Glasnow was traded to Los Angeles from Tampa Bay last year to help lead the Dodgers’ rotation and made his first All-Star Game after a strong first half. Glasnow was shut down in August, though, with an elbow injury. He went 9-6 with a 3.49 ERA in 22 starts in his first year in Los Angeles, setting career highs in strikeouts (168) and innings (134).
Tommy Edman, last year’s National League Championship Series, leads the Dodgers with three home runs, and Shohei Ohtani, the reigning MVP, has slugged two homers and already scored eight runs. Atlanta has been one of the better and more consistent offenses in MLB over the last decade, but the Braves have really struggled at the dish to start the year, scoring just seven runs over their first four games, two of which they were shut out. Atlanta is still awaiting the return of star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. The 2023 NL MVP suffered the second torn ACL of his career last May and will instantly give the Braves’ lineup a big boost when he returns.
The Dodgers are -197 money-line favorites (bet $197 to win $100), according to SportsLine consensus, while the Braves are +164 underdogs (bet $100 to win $164).
PROP BETS FROM DK/FD
Let’s dive into the SportsLine model’s projections for Braves-Dodgers.
ATLANTA BRAVES at LOS ANGELES DODGERS | 3/31 | 10:10 p.m. ET
Money line
Pick: Braves +167
Atlanta wins in 38% of simulations, bringing value at these odds
Run line
Pick: Braves +1.5 (-128)
Atlanta covers in 61% of simulations
Over/Under
Pick: Over 8 runs
The Over hits in 56.6% of simulations
Projected score: Dodgers 5.1, Braves 4.4
