The Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees both entered the 2021 MLB season with World Series aspirations, but both have stumbled out of the gate.
As Yankees haters love to point out, New York owns the worst record in the American League at 5-10 but the Braves aren’t much better at 7-9. So, while the Yankees are favorites for Game 1 of this interleague series, who actually has the MLB betting edge?
Check out our MLB free picks and predictions for Braves vs. Yankees on Tuesday, April 20, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET.
Braves vs Yankees odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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MLB sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonFanDuel pegged New York a -126 favorite at Monday night's outset and dipped to -112 overnight, then rebounded to -124 by lunch hour today. As of 1:30 p.m. ET, the Braves are attracting 58 percent of moneyline tickets, while the Yankees are drawing 67 percent of moneyline cash. The total opened at 9 (Under -120) and made a couple of trips to 8.5 before returning to the opener, with 56 percent of bets/71 percent of money on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameBraves vs Yankees betting preview
Starting pitchers
Charlie Morton (1-1, 4.76 ERA): Morton has been up-and-down in his first few starts with Atlanta and is coming off a rough outing against the Marlins, where he allowed five runs on seven hits. But Morton’s strikeout numbers have been strong, and his sinker continues to be hard to barrel up. Morton also has a history of success against the Yankees during his time in Tampa Bay.
Jameson Taillon (0-1, 7.56 ERA): The Yankees were hoping Taillon could be a good innings-eater for them this season, but he’ll need to pitch a little better if that is to become a reality. The right-hander is finding too much of the plate with his fastball and slider, resulting in a lot of hard contact. Now, he’ll face one of the toughest lineups in the majors in the Braves.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Braves: Ronald Acuna RF (Questionable), Ozzie Albies 2B (Questionable), Ender Inciarte CF (Out), Chris Martin RP (Out).
Yankees: Gary Sanchez C (Questionable), Miguel Andujar LF (Out), Zack Britton RP (Out), Luke Voit 1B (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Yankees are 0-4 in their last four games listed as a favorite. Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Yankees.
Moneyline pick
The Braves and Yankees have both struggled early on, but for much different reasons. For the Yankees, it has been all about the performance at the plate, where they have not lived up to the Bronx Bombers moniker.
It has been quite shocking to see a lineup as talented as this struggle, even over this amount of time. The Yanks rank 27th in scoring, plating just 3.67 runs per game while ranking 26th in batting average (.210) and second-to-last in OPS (.642).
For the Braves, the problem has been inconsistent performances from their starters, and Morton is a perfect example of that. However, Morton has proven in the past he can handle the Yanks, pitching to a 3.55 ERA against them as a member of the Rays.
Meanwhile, Taillon has to deal with a Braves lineup that is tied for the MLB lead in homers, ranks fourth in OPS and is expected to have the red-hot Ronald Acuna back in the lineup for this game. The wrong team is favored here. Take the Braves as underdogs.
PREDICTION: Braves (+110)
Over/Under pick
The Under has been hit by early bettors for this interleague matchup and we tend to agree. As noted, the Yankees bats are M.I.A. these days and have plated four or fewer runs in each of their last six games, while hitting just .202 against right-handed pitchers. Morton has had success against the Yankees in the past and the Braves top relievers have solid numbers this season.
For Taillon, while he has been hit hard, Aaron Boone won’t be shy to take the ball quickly and hand the ball over to a bullpen that is arguably still the best in the Bigs. The Yankees’ relievers rank second in ERA, first in WHIP and third in opponent batting average. Boone won’t want to let this one slip away from him. Bet the Under here.
PREDICTION: Under 8.5 (-110)
Braves vs Yankees betting card
- Braves (+110)
- Under 8.5 (-110)
Picks made on 04/20/2021 at 1:34 p.m. ET.
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