Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies Prediction: Can the Braves turn things around in this crucial matchup?

At Truist Park on Monday, the second game of the National League Division Series (NLDS) will feature a matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves. Let's take a look at the matchup ahead of us and make a pick and forecast.

In order to bring the series to a 1-1 tie, the Atlanta Braves require a victory. The Atlanta Braves struggled to get anything going in their opening-game loss, as they were only able to string together five hits and eight strikeouts. The Atlanta Braves were held scoreless in their own stadium for the very first time all season. The Atlanta Braves have now been defeated in three of the previous four games they've played. The Braves have been led offensively by Austin Riley, who has one hit, while Eddie Rosario and Orlando Arcia have combined for two hits. Max Fried is set to take the mound, and he finished the season with an 8-1 record, a 2.55 earned run average, and 80 strikeouts. Fried has a career playoff record of 2–4 with a 4.43 earned run average and 61 strikeouts. Four out of the last five playoff games that the Atlanta Braves have played as favorites against opponents from the National League East, they have lost. Additionally, in seven of their last eight playoff games following a loss, the Atlanta Braves have covered the run line while playing against the spread.

The Philadelphia Phillies hope to grab an unexpected 2-0 series lead by claiming another victory away from home. At this point in the postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies have a record of 3-0 and have won those three games by a total score of 14-2. In the 27 innings that have been played during the postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies have generated 24 strikeouts while also allowing 17 hits, 2 earned runs, and 4 walks. In the event that they maintain this level of productivity, the Philadelphia Phillies have a very good chance of qualifying for the World Series in successive seasons. Trea Turner is leading the Philadelphia Phillies offense with five hits and one run batted in, while Bryson Stott and Bryce Harper have combined for seven hits and seven runs batted in. Zack Wheeler is about to take the mound, and he finished this season with a record of 13 wins, a 3.61 earned run average, and 212 strikeouts. In his career, Wheeler has a playoff record of 2-3 with a 2.55 earned run average and 41 strikeouts.

The Atlanta Braves are the best club in baseball, and they have the top offense, so it stands to reason that they should be favored in this matchup. In addition, the Braves will be playing this game at home. However, the Philadelphia Phillies are on a tear right now, and because of this, they should be given serious consideration for the role of the underdog. Additionally, Zack Wheeler pitched exceptionally well in the wild card game against the Miami Marlins, and he has limited the Atlanta Braves to a.217 batting average while striking out 80 batters in 286 at-bats. Max Fried hasn't pitched since the 21st of September, despite the fact that he's been quite good throughout the course of 77.2 innings. That's two weeks off, which might throw off the rhythm of a pitcher who is used to throwing at least once a week, as that's a significant amount of time away from the game. As a result, considering how well the Philadelphia Phillies performed in game one the day before, I believe they should have no trouble covering the run line in this contest.