Wednesday MLB Baseball Picks: Braves vs Diamondbacks
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MLB Betting – Braves vs Diamondbacks Preview & Pick
Date: May 18, 2011
Venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Broadcast: SPSO, FSAZ
Atlanta Braves at Arizona Diamondbacks Betting Lines from Betonline.com
Money Line: Arizona -160
Over/Under: 9.5 (-105)
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Atlanta Braves (24-19 through May 16)
Julio Teheran (0-1, 5.79)
The Atlanta Braves have climbed back into the National League East race – but are there tough times ahead? A number of road blocks have arisen over the last few weeks. Struggles aside, Jason Heyward is playing through a shoulder injury and clearly still isn’t fully healthy. Chipper Jones is battling through a torn meniscus; outstanding young pitcher Brandon Beachy just hit the DL with the dreaded oblique strain.
With Beachy out, the Braves will turn to megaprospect Julio Teheran for the second time in three weeks on May 18. The 20-year-old looked his age in his big-league debut on May 7 against the Phillies, lasting just 4.2 innings, walking two and allowing three runs on four hits.
Arizona Diamondbacks (17-23 through May 16)
Joe Saunders (0-5, 5.48)
I’m not gonna lie; it gives me a lot of pleasure to see Joe Saunders at 0-5 for the year. He’s always been a whipping boy of mine. He won a lot of games in his days with the L.A. Angels despite not being very good. His career WHIP is 1.41, opponents bat .278 off him and he serves up gopher balls galore year after year. It’s about time this perennially lucky pitcher got hit hard.
Saunders has been his usual mediocre self this month, allowing at least three runs, at least one homer, at least five hits and walking at least three batters in all three of his starts.
MLB Trends:
Under is 6-2 in ATL last 8 games following a win.
Over is 5-2-1 in ATL last 8 road games.
Under is 12-4-1 in ARI last 17 overall.
Under is 12-4-1 in ARI last 17 on grass.
Under is 6-2 in ARI last 8 home games.
Over is 8-1 in the last 9 meetings.
The pick:
Teheran got called up to the majors out of necessity and not because he was actually ready for the bigs, as he showed in his subpar debut. The offense-augmenting Chase Field doesn’t seem like the best venue for his followup, does it? The Diamondbacks strike out a lot but they also walk a lot and have some powerful bats in Justin Upton, Chris Young and Stephen Drew. I wouldn’t be surprised if the D-backs punished Teheran.
Also, even though Saunders stinks, he shut Atlanta out the only other time he faced them and he’ll battle a hobbled lineup on Wednesday. Give ’Zona a try.
Braves vs Diamondbacks prediction: Diamondbacks 4, Braves 3
