Atlanta Braves vs Houston Astros Prediction, 4/17/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Atlanta Braves vs Houston Astros

Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: Bally Sports South

Odds/Point Spread: Atlanta (-112) Houston (-104)

The Houston Astros (6-12) welcome the Atlanta Braves (10-5) at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday. The odds on this game have Atlanta at -112 and Houston is coming in at -104. The betting total is set at 9.5. The expected starting pitchers will be Max Fried and J.P. France.

Atlanta has a slugging percentage of .488 and have struck out 131 times, while taking a walk on 48 occasions. They have 92 runs batted in in addition to 164 base knocks for the season, while their team batting average is at .301. The Braves have tallied 45 two-baggers as a squad and have hit 17 balls out of the park. They have notched a total of 97 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .364. As a unit, the Atlanta Braves are scoring 6.5 runs per game, which has them sitting at 1st in the league.

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The Braves are sitting with a team ERA of 4.64 on the campaign (22nd in baseball), and the staff has rung up 122 batters. Braves pitchers have yielded 15 long balls and also 73 runs in total (17th in the league). They have walked 50 opposing players and their FIP comes in at 4.08 as a unit on the campaign. Atlanta has conceded 127 base knocks (8.7 per 9 innings) in addition to 68 earned runs. Their K/BB ratio is 2.44 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.34.

The Braves relief pitchers have compiled a save rate of 66.7% and has come into the game in 13 save situations. The relievers have inherited 18 runners on the campaign with 27.8% of those runners crossed the plate. Braves relief pitchers have gone to the mound with players on base 14 times in addition to having 13 appearances in high leverage situations. The Braves have sent 50 relief pitchers to the mound on the season. The bullpen have racked up 7 holds for the season (22nd in the league). They have accumulated 4 saves for the season and have missed out on 2 of 6 save chances.

The Braves have transformed 69.0% of balls in play into outs out of their 1,188 innings on the field, which ranks them 20th in the majors. The Atlanta Braves have earned a total of 396 putouts so far this season, as well as 149 assists and 4 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .993 which has them ranked 1st in pro baseball, and have a total of 16 double plays.

Fried (63-26 career mark) has a FIP of 3.30 and he has gone up against 2,956 opposing hitters in the major leagues. He has given up 653 hits (8.1 hits per 9 innings) with 194 walks. His ERA is 3.12 (250 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.174. Fried has taken the mound for 721 frames and has accounted for 707 strikeouts so far in his career.

The Astros have a SLG% of .429 and they are scoring 4.50 runs per contest (16th in the league). They have 36 two-baggers, while taking a walk 64 times and recording 81 runs. Houston is sitting with 21 HRs this year and 78 runs batted in. They have struck out on 117 instances (28th in baseball) and have a total of 172 hits. The Houston Astros have an on-base percentage of .344 and a batting average of .273 this season.

The Houston pitching staff have surrendered 99 runs on the season while holding a team ERA of 5.35 (94 earned runs allowed). They have allowed 14 homers and they concede 5.64 runs per 9 innings (28th in baseball). The Astros hold a team WHIP of 1.532 in addition to having a FIP of 4.36 as a pitching staff so far this season. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 7.50 (132 strikeouts against 79 walks). They are currently ranked 29th in baseball as a staff in total hits given up with 163.

Sitting with 9 save situations, the Astros have compiled 4 holds in addition to 4 blown saves. Houston has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the contest in 5 save chances and they have tallied 1 save. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 14 times in high leverage situations and on 14 occasions with runners on. Houston bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 20.0% out of their 25 inherited base runners. They are currently ranked 29th in baseball with a save rate of 20.0%, and they have dispatched 65 relievers onto the field for the year.

In their 1,422 innings on the diamond, the Astros are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 67.3% (26th in baseball). The Houston Astros have turned 18 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .986 (13th in MLB). The Astros have accrued 152 assists, 9 errors and have accounted for 474 putouts this season.

During his career, France has allowed 160 base knocks while earning 113 K's in 151 frames. France (11-8 career win-loss mark) is the owner of a 4.27 earned run average while allowing 9.5 hits per nine innings. He has given up a total of 72 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.411 and a FIP of 4.6. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.09 and he has gone up against 657 opposing batters during his MLB career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston (-104)

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