San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves: Padres Look to Slow Down Surging Braves

• The San Diego Padres have won three of their last four games.
• The Atlanta Braves have only lost once this season.
• The Padres were 4-3 against the Braves last season.

San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves Odds

Odds Taken from FanDuel Sportsbook

San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves Picks

• Atlanta Braves beat San Diego, Padres, 6-3. 
• Braves cover the spread, Over 7.5 runs.

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Padres vs Braves Moneyline Analysis

The San Diego Padres will travel to Atlanta to face the Braves in the first game of a four-game series. These teams are off to different starts this year. The Padres are 3-3 and have had a few good games. With that being said, they have also had some questionable performances. On the other side, the Braves are 5-1. Atlanta has been dominating opponents and (other than their one loss) has won each game by at least three runs.

The Padres have an excellent lineup but have not seen a ton of success so far. In six games, they have scored 25 runs, making of an average of 4.17 runs per game. There are slower lineups in the MLB, but San Diego will not return to the World Series if they do not step up at the plate. With that being said, the Padres have the ability to turn it around at any point in the season. Their lineup consists of Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, Juan Soto, Ha-Seong Kim, and Trent Grisham. This lineup will be even more bolstered in a few weeks when Fernando Tatis Jr. returns from his rehab assignment. Overall, this lineup can compete with the best of them but is yet to get going this season.

Blake Snell will take the mound for the Padres. Snell gave up three earned runs in 4⅓ innings in his first start this season and was saddled with the loss. It is worth noting that he also struck out nine. The lefty is coming off his best season since 2018. Snell finished 2022 with an 8-10 record on a 3.37 ERA. I only say that to show that Snell will have a better and longer start this time around. He will pitch five innings and give up no more than four runs. He will not dominate the Braves, but he will pitch through their lineup the first time around.

The Braves lineup is off to a hot start this season. Atlanta has a .280 team average and has only struck out 39 times in six games. The Braves' lineup is filled with good hitters and can make any team pay from the plate. Atlanta’s lineup consists of Travis D’Arnuad, Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Orlando Arcia, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, and Marcell Ozuna. These players do not all have the same skill level but can all hit well and are not to be taken lightly. They will get at least a couple of runs off Blake Snell.

Spencer Strider will take the hill for the Braves. Strider is the #2 pitcher in the Braves rotation but is acting as their ace, as Max Fried recovers from an injury. Strider had a dominant first start to the season against the St. Louis Cardinals. He only gave up three hits in six scoreless innings and struck out nine. It would not be fair of me to expect the same result this time around (especially since Strider is facing the Padres and not the Braves), but Strider will give up two runs at the most and get the win.

The Braves are the better team at this moment and hitting much better, so I have to recommend betting on them. Bet on Atlanta to win.

Padres vs Braves Over/Under Analysis

The over/under for this game is set at 7.5 runs. It is not too high, but it makes sense, given that two proven pitchers will be battling it out. I expect the Braves to win 6-3, so I recommend betting on the over.

The Padres are the underdogs, and I only expect them to put up three runs. This is partially because their hitting has been a little slow to start the season, but it is also because they will be facing Spencer Strider. Strider is a dominant force on the mound, and the Padres' bats are yet to be hot. They will probably score two runs off him and one run off the Braves bullpen.

The Braves bats have been hot from the get-go, so it is not that crazy to think they will score six runs. Atlanta will put three or four runs on Blake Snell. This is not a criticism of Snell; he is a reliable pitcher. However, the Braves have scored 12 runs in their previous two games. Atlanta will follow that up with two-three runs on the Padres’ bullpen. The San Diego bullpen is struggling mightily through the first week of the season and has a 5.95 ERA. This will be a bit of a high-scoring game. Bet on the over.

Head-to-Head: San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves

How To Watch San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves

• What - San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves
• Where - Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia
• When - Thursday, April 6, 7:20 PM
• How to Watch - MLB Network, MLB.TV, MLB Extra Innings, Bally Sports San Diego, Bally Sports Southeast