Baseball wagering is featured on ESPN on Wednesday as two National League East rivals meet as the Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies.This is an important early season MLB wagering series for the Braves as they want to prove they are contenders in the division this season.
Baseball wagering trends actually favor the Braves in this game even though the Phillies are the defending National League champs. Before this series began, the Braves had won 12 of the last 20 games against the Phillies. The Braves do need to do better at home against the Phillies though. They were just 5-4 at home last season vs. the Phillies. Five of those games went under the total with one push. The Braves can be up and down when it comes to scoring runs. They were no-hit on Saturday by Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez.
The Braves have gotten pretty good pitching so far this baseball wagering season including from their bullpen. Newcomer Jonny Venters has even gotten into the act. He held the Rockies to just one hit in three scoreless innings on Saturday. “The first inning, the nerves were pretty strong, but getting that first out really helped out a lot,” said Venters. “The guy who really impressed me tonight in his debut was Jonny Venters,” manager Bobby Cox said. “[His] 95 [mph] fastball with sink like he’s got is something special. He was perfect tonight.” Venters should have made the team out of Spring Training but for some reason the Braves didn’t put him on the roster. He will now replace Jo-Jo Reyes who has been terrible so far this season and is now out with an injury.
The Phillies have the look for a champion again this season in MLB wagering. They also look improved with the addition of Roy Halladay and Placido Polanco. After ten games this season, Polanco led the National League in hits and runs, and he was third in batting average and fifth in total bases. He is hitting second in a potent Philadelphia lineup. He was hitting.444 with 20 hits, 12 RBIs, 14 runs scored and 30 total bases through the first ten games. “I’m not surprised he’s off to a start like that, because he can hit,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “And he likes to play. Polanco loves to play. He fits right in on our team like that.” He is a fantastic addition for the Phillies this season. “He’s a very consistent contact hitter, but not only that, he hits the ball hard and moves the ball,” Manuel said. “He can definitely play situational ball. He knows how to play the game.”