After ripping through a four-game sweep of the Marlins, the Atlanta Braves are set to host the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a four-game set tonight. The Braves have won five straight games coming into this tilt and have been TCB at SunTrust Park by winning nine of their last 10 at home. To shut down the dangerous Rockies, they’ll lean on Julio Teheran, who owns a 3.99 ERA in 12 home starts. The Braves, 8-4 SU in those games, opened as slight home dogs to get the W.
- The Rockies are 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games with Jon Gray as the starter.
- The Braves are 9-1 SU and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games at home.
- The UNDER has hit in six of the Braves’ last seven games at home with Julio Teheran as the starter.
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Jon Gray has become Mr. Reliable for Colorado
Jon Gray has had some ups and downs in 2018, most notably the down from April through June when he had an ERA above 5.50 each month over a span of 16 starts. But since July hit, the righty has been dominant as he has only allowed nine earned runs over his last five starts and kept his ERA below 3.30 during that stretch. The Rockies have now won seven straight games with Gray as the starter and it’s no coincidence that Colorado’s rise in the standings coincided with his return to form.
As for the Braves, they’ll have Julio Teheran on the hill and he’s produced three quality starts in his last three trips to the mound as he allowed three or fewer runs in each of those games. Teheran has enjoyed facing the Rockies in his career as he sports a 2.31 ERA in nine career starts vs Colorado with a 1.26 ERA in two starts in 2017. Although he’s been a bit choppy for bettors to rely on lately, it’s worth noting the Braves are 8-4 SU in his 12 home starts in 2018.
Hot-Lanta Becoming a Team No One Wants to Face
The Braves, currently leading the NL East by two games, were +1800 dogs to win the division prior to the start of the season. But their young guns Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr. have developed far faster than analysts had predicted and pairing them with the steady presence of Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis has made this lineup dangerous.
Since the all-star break, the Braves rank in the top 10 in runs, hits, doubles, homers, RBIs, batting average and OPS. And at home, the Braves have been dominant as they’ve won nine of their last 10 at SunTrust Park while outscoring their competition 70-32. Runline bettors should also know they went 8-2 ATS in those games.
Totals Bettors Should Take a Look at the UNDER
The total opened at 8.5 and bettors looking for an angle may want to consider the UNDER. The UNDER has hit in three of the last four games in this matchup with an average combined score of 5.75 runs per game. The UNDER also seems to follow Teheran when he pitches at home as the UNDER has hit in six of the Braves’ last seven games at home when he gets the start with an average combined score of 8.1 runs per game.
