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The Atlanta Braves take on the Kansas City Royals. Our MLB odds series has our Braves Royals prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Braves Royals.
The Atlanta Braves were thoroughly outplayed by the San Diego Padres last weekend in Atlanta. They responded well after that disappointing weekend. Atlanta took care of business against the Cincinnati Reds with a three-game sweep. Then the Braves came to Kansas City on Friday night in what figured to be a tough assignment for them. Brady Singer was a very strong, high-quality pitcher for the Royals in 2022. He posed a formidable threat to Atlanta's bats, which have generally been good this season but were contained by the Padres and (at times) by the Reds over the past several days.
The Braves were ready. They pounded Singer early and hit five home runs against the Kansas City pitching staff in a 10-3 win. Atlanta does need to prove it can hit top-tier pitching when it plays the best teams in the National League, but hammering Singer was a sign that this batting order will develop and improve over the course of the season, such that the next time Atlanta faces a good N.L. team — the Mets, the Dodgers, the Brewers — the bats will do a lot better than they did against the Padres one week ago.
Here are the Braves-Royals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Braves-Royals Odds
Atlanta Braves: -1.5 (-116)
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-140)
Over: 8.5 (-104)
Under: 8.5 (-118)
How To Watch Braves vs. Royals
TV: Bally Sports South (Braves) / Bally Sports Kansas City (Royals) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET/1:10 p.m. PT
*Watch Braves-Royals LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Braves Could Cover The Spread
The Braves are back in rhythm at the plate after several games in which they were handcuffed by opposing pitchers. They needed Friday's breakout against the Royals to feel good about themselves at the plate and relax when hitting. The new pitch clock is an adjustment for everyone. The quicker pace of play means hitters have to be ready not only to hit the next pitch they see, but to think about pitch sequencing and understand patterns better. This adjustment will involve some bumpy periods, and the Braves certainly endured some rough patches against the Padres and Reds, but their Friday mash-fest against the Royals should put them in a very good, relaxed frame of mind. They're going against Kris Bubic, who is not one of the higher-end arms in the Kansas City rotation. They are also sending Bryce Elder to the mound. Elder has not yet given up a single run in 2023.
Atlanta should feel very good about its chances heading into this game.
Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread
The Bryce Elder ERA is zero. It is impressive, as has been Elder's overall performance this year for the Braves. However, before you get too excited, that's only two starts. Regression is bound to happen. Look at what happened to New York Yankee starter Jhony Brito in his third start of the season this past Thursday. After two very strong starts to open his season, Brito didn't even escape the first inning of his third start. The fact that he gave up very few runs in his first two starts did not lead to continued, uninterrupted success. He was bound to stumble at some point.
It can be the same for Elder and the Braves here. The Royals can punch back and create some regression for the Atlanta starter.
Final Braves-Royals Prediction & Pick
The Braves are such a better team than the Royals, to the extent that any worries about Bryce Elder regressing should be kept on the shelf. Take Atlanta.
Final Braves-Royals Prediction & Pick: Braves -1.5