The third contest of a four-game set between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves will grab the attention of the baseball world as the two rivals will meet once again out on the diamond. Join us for our MLB odds series where our Phillies-Braves prediction and pick will be revealed.

Splitting the first two games of this series, it was the Phillies that edged out the Braves in thrilling fashion as closer Craig Kimbrel was able to close the door for his 400th all-time save. With the latest win, Philly has now improved to 24-27 but are still seven games behind the Braves for first place. Looking to get his team back in division contention will be veteran Zack Wheeler who is 3-4 with a 4.11 ERA on the season.

Despite the Braves having lost yesterday to their heated rivals, the Braves are obviously in tremendous shape at this point of the season. With an overall record of 31-20, Atlanta has already proved that they are a legitimate NL contender with some impressive showings thus far. Alas, the Braves will call upon RHP Charlie Morton with his 5-4 record and 3.61 ERA to boot.

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

MLB Odds: Phillies-Braves Odds

Philadelphia Phillies: +1.5 (-178)

Atlanta Braves: -1.5 (+146)

Over: 9 (+100)

Under: 9 (-122)

How To Watch Phillies vs. Braves

TV: Bally Sports Southeast/Fox Sports 1

Stream: MLB.TV

Time: 4:10 ET/1:10 PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread

First things first, if the Phillies are going to find a way to at least cover the spread and possibly guarantee themselves with a series split, it will be important for them to capitalize with men in scoring position and to not squander golden opportunities in order take firm control of this divisional showdown. On Friday, the Phillies did just enough in this category as they also possess an offense that ranks among the bottom ten in runs scored but happens to excel in regards to their overall batting average and ability to slug the baseball for extra-base hits and home runs.

Above all else, be on the lookout for outfielder Nick Castellanos to continue to prove why he is such a valuable asset on this squad. After going 2-5 with a pair of RBIs in the win over the Braves yesterday, Castellanos is now hitting .296 on the season which leads the club by a considerable margin. Although not many would ever consider the 31-year-old outfielder to be the best hitter on this team, but he is quickly changing that perspective. If Castellanos is feeling it early, then don't be surprised if he comes away with a clutch at-bat down the stretch to help Philly cover the spread.

Most importantly, the pitching prowess on the mound will end up being the deciding factor of whether or not the Phillies cover. Fortunately, Wheeler has grown quite familiar with the Braves over the years with 24 career starts as he is 10-7 with a 3.14 ERA over that span. With a calm, cool, and collected demeanor, it is often difficult for Wheeler to feel overwhelmed or flustered when he steps foot on the mound.

Why The Braves Could Cover The Spread

Despite being surprisingly mediocre in front of their home fans in their own home building, there's a reason why Atlanta is one of the favorites to come out of the National League when the dust of the regular season finally settles.

Believe it or not, but the Braves have plenty of red-hot hitters themselves who are as comfortable at the plate than any hitter in baseball at the moment. Alas, look no further than outfielder Marcell Ozuna who happened to go 3-4 with his 11th home run of the season. Bafflingly enough, Ozuna has lifted his batting average to .238 after a rough start to the season at the dish. Even more impressively, Ozuna is single-handily carrying this offensive attack as of late as he has homered in three straight games and has also hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games.

Similarity to the Phillies' recipe for success en route to covering the spread, the overall pitching effort will ultimately be the biggest deciding factor ahead of this matchup. In a showdown where a pair of veteran hurlers will duel it out, Atlanta will ride their chances on the arm of Charlie Morton. At the ripe age of 39, Morton has spent more than 15 seasons in the big leagues and certainly will know what to expect as sets foot on the bump in this one. After it was Morton that got shellacked by the LA Dodgers in his last start that led to surrendering six runs on seven hits in five innings, there is no question that the aging twirler will want to bounce back in a big way.

Final Phillies-Braves Prediction & Pick

Anything can happen when these two rivals get together for play, but the move here is to expect the Atlanta Braves to shake off last night's loss by putting it to the Phillies from the opening pitch.

Final Phillies-Braves Prediction & Pick: Braves -1.5 (+146)