Braves vs Brewers NLDS Game 2 Picks and Predictions: Can Atlanta Force a Split in Milwaukee?

James Bisson - Head of Content, Betting
James Bisson • Head of Content, Betting 16+ years betting experience
Updated: Oct 9, 2021 , 01:01 PM ET • 4 min read

The Braves dropped Game 1 and will turn to Max Fried for Game 2, while the series-leading Brewers hand the ball to Brandon Woodruff. In a matchup without much firepower, find out which of these pitchers could be the difference with our picks.

Max Fried Atlanta Braves MLB
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Brewers won Game 1 of their National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, and the two now meet again at American Family Field at 5:07 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 9. 

Will Atlanta find a way to manufacture some runs and even this series up at 1-1? You’ll find the answer to that in our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Game 2 of Braves vs. Brewers.

Braves vs Brewers odds

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Braves vs Brewers picks

Picks made on 10/9/2021 at 1:17 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

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Braves vs Brewers game info

• Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
• Date: Saturday, October 9, 2021
• Time: 5:07 p.m. ET
• TV: TBS

Braves vs Brewers betting preview

Starting pitchers

Max Fried (14-7, 3.04 ERA): Fried got off to a slow start to the 2021 season, but he comes into the playoffs after having allowed just one earned run over his last three starts. He pitched 23 innings across those outings, and he struck out 15 batters in that span. It’s hard to find anybody pitching as well as the lefty at the moment.

Brandon Woodruff (9-10, 2.56 ERA): The Brewers lost in each of Woodruff’s final four starts during the regular season. Those four starts all took place in September, when the righty had a 4.09 ERA in 22 innings of work. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not Woodruff can recapture his August form, as he had a 2.77 ERA in those five starts. 

Braves vs Brewers series odds

Braves: +225
Brewers: -280

Weather

Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.

Key injuries

Braves: Ronald Acuna Jr. OF (Out), Marcell Ozuna OF (Out).
Brewers: Devin Williams RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Under is 8-3-1 in Milwaukee’s last 12 home games against left-handed starters. Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Brewers.

Braves vs Brewers predictions

The Braves were able to beat up on Woodruff a bit in their only matchup with the righty during the regular season. Atlanta faced him on July 31 and ended up earning an 8-1 win in a game in which the team got eight hits and scored three runs against Woodruff in 5 1-3 innings of work. Atlanta stranded a few more batters than it would have liked to in that game, but three runs would likely be enough for the Braves to even up this series with Fried on the mound in this game. 

Fried didn’t face the Brewers during the regular season, but he’s as hot as can be coming into this start. The Brewers also happened to have the fourth-worst batting average in baseball against lefties during the regular season. They were also just 23rd in the league in homers and tied for 25th in RBIs off of southpaws during the year. With that, it’s just hard to see a team that is downright bad against lefties suddenly turning in a big offensive performance against one of the best pitchers in the league. 

Also, if those splits weren’t enough to sway you, there’s also the fact that Atlanta was second in the league in homers off of righties during the regular season. The Braves were also sixth in the league in slugging percentage against them. 

Overall, this game seems ripe for the taking for the Braves and it doesn’t hurt that they’ll be the more desperate team in this one. Atlanta knows that it can’t afford to go down 2-0 in the series.

These teams easily went Under the total in Game 1, as they combined to score only three runs. That’s something that fans should really get used to in this series, as there are quite a few nice starting pitching options, and these bullpens are both built to perform at a high level in October. 

With Fried on the mound against a lineup that struggles with lefties, it should be expected that the Brewers won’t be the ones to burn Under bettors in this one. And while the Braves got to Woodruff in their last meeting, he only ended up giving up three earned runs in that outing. He can give up three or four in this one and the Under would still be in great shape.

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James Bisson
Head of Content, Betting

James Bisson is the Editor-in-Chief at Covers. He has been a writer, reporter and editor for more than 20 years, including a nine-year stint with The Canadian Press and more than five years at theScore. He has covered dozens of marquee events including the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2006 Stanley Cup final and Wrestlemania 23, and his work has appeared in more than 200 publications, including the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, Yahoo! Sports, the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

His book, “100 Greatest Canadian Sports Moments”, was a hardcover best-seller in Canada in 2008 and earned him appearances on CBC Radio and Canada AM. He has written more than 50 sportsbook reviews, more than 200 industry news articles, and dozens of other sportsbook-related content articles.

A graduate of the broadcast journalism program at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), James has been an avid bettor since the early 2000s, and cites bet365 as his favorite sports betting site due to its superior functionality and quick payouts. His biggest professional highlight: Covering Canada's first Olympic gold medal on home soil – and interviewing Bret Hart. Twice.

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