The Atlanta Braves (48-26) visit the Cincinnati Reds (40-35) for the first of a three-game series. First pitch commences Friday at 6:40 p.m. ET. Atlanta holds a 3-0 lead on the season series thanks to their home sweep back in April. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Braves-Reds prediction, pick, and how to watch.

Here are the Braves-Reds MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Braves-Reds Odds

Atlanta Braves: -1.5 (+100)

Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-120)

Over: 11 (-112)

Under: 11 (-108)

How To Watch Braves vs. Reds

TV: Bally Sports

Stream: MLB.tv

Time: 6:40 p.m. ET/ 3:40 p.m. PT

*Find out how to watch Braves-Reds LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Braves Could Cover The Spread

Atlanta takes the National League's best record into Cincinnati tonight to take on the hottest team in baseball. Still, for as good as the Reds have been lately, the Braves have been nearly as hot with eight straight wins. Atlanta had a strong start to the season but exploded in June with a 15-3 record. Their offense has been firing on all cylinders over that stretch with 6.8 runs per game and a .898 OPS. Considering the Braves haven't lost a series since the end of May, they make for a strong favorite play tonight. That said, the Braves will need a signature outing from their rookie starter if they want to cover as 1.5-run favorites.

Righty AJ Smith-Shawver (1-0) makes his third start of the season for the Braves tonight. The Braves fast-tracked the 20-year-old to the majors after he dominated the minors to start the year. He made his first appearance in relief but has since started two games for Atlanta with strong results. He threw 5.1 shutout innings for the Nationals before allowing three in 5.2 innings against the Rockies. Despite a small sample size, Smith-Shawver's 2.03 ERA and 0.98 WHIP look incredibly strong for a pitcher of his experience. Still, both of his previous starts came at home against the lowly Rockies and Nationals. Today, Smith-Shawver faces his toughest test of the season in a hitter-friendly ballpark against the hottest team in the majors. That said, the Reds have performed worse against righties (.252 BA) compared to lefties (.266 BA) – perhaps providing a lane for another strong outing for the rookie.

Considering how well the Braves offense has been playing, it's hard to pinpoint one guy in particular who could be a difference-maker. Ronald Acuna (.325 BA), Ozzie Albies (.314 BA), Michael Harris (.382 BA), Orlando Arcia (.369 BA), Eddie Rosario (.350 BA), and Marcell Ozuna (.321 BA) are all hitting over .300 for the month – gibing the Braves a plethora of offensive options tonight.

Why The Reds Could Cover The Spread

Cincinnati welcomes Atlanta to town tonight in a battle between the two hottest teams in baseball. The Reds got off to a rough start in April but finished May with a winning record and have taken off in June. With a 14-6 record, the Reds have now won 11 straight games thanks to sweeps over the Royals, Astros, and Rockies. Still, the Braves are a different animal than the lowly Rockies and the Reds trot out arguably their worst starter tonight. Consequently, Cincinnati will need a strong night at the plate if they want to hang with the National League leaders and cover as 1.5-run home underdogs.

Righty Luke Weaver (1-2) makes his 12th start of the season tonight. The 29-year-old spent last year as a reliever but made his return to the starting rotation in Cincinnati this season. Weaver owns ugly ratios of a 6.47 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. His strikeouts are down to a career-low 7.9 K/9 although his 6.6% walk rate is his lowest since 2019. Weaver has gotten a bit unlucky considering his xERA sits at 5.23. Still, he allowed fewer than four runs in just three of his 11 starts and is coming off one of his worst starts of the year. In his most recent outing against the Astros, Weaver allowed five runs on 10 hits in just 5.0 innings – striking out just one hitter.  Although the Braves have performed significantly worse against righties compared to lefties, they still boast a .785 OPS against righties – spelling trouble for the 29-year-old.

For as good as the Reds have been this month, they may have room to improve even further considering some quiet games from a majority of their lineup. That can't be said of Elly De La Cruz, however, as the star prospect has been as good as advertised. In 14 June games, De La Cruz owns a stellar .923 OPS and ranks third on the team with 30 total bases despite playing six fewer games than the two guys ahead of him. De La Cruz has been even better against righties – against whom he owns a 1.151 OPS.

Final Braves-Reds Prediction & Pick

This Reds run has been fun. However, I expect the Braves offense to have a field day at Great America Ballpark tonight.

Final Braves-Reds Prediction & Pick: Atlanta Braves -1.5 (+100)