Discover the Game Time for Dodgers vs Braves – Sunday May 04, 2025

Los Angeles Dodgers

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Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves will host the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 4, 2025, in what is shaping up to be an intriguing matchup. Both teams are coming off a series of games, with the Dodgers winning the previous matchup, further solidifying their place as one of the top teams in the league. The Dodgers currently sit at 22-10, showcasing a potent offense that ranks 3rd in MLB, while the Braves are struggling at 14-17, ranking 14th.

On the mound, the Braves are projected to start Bryce Elder, who has had a rough season thus far. Elder’s ERA stands at 5.33, and while his 4.46 xFIP suggests he might have been unlucky, he still projects to allow 3.1 earned runs over 5.0 innings today, which isn’t ideal. In contrast, the Dodgers will counter with Dustin May, who has an ERA of 3.95 and a solid 3.24 FIP. Although May’s strikeout projections are below average at 3.8, he is expected to pitch 5.2 innings, which should give the Dodgers a strong chance to capitalize on the Braves’ inconsistent pitching.

The Braves’ offense has been average, ranking 17th in team batting average, but they’ll need to step up against a Dodgers’ lineup that has hit 52 home runs this season, the 2nd most in MLB. The current game total is set high at 9.0 runs, indicating expectations for scoring.

With the Braves listed as underdogs at +130, there is potential value in betting on their ability to outperform expectations, particularly given Elder’s groundball tendencies against a powerful Dodgers lineup. As both teams look to gain momentum, the matchup promises to be a compelling watch for fans and bettors alike.

Los Angeles Dodgers Insights

• Los Angeles Dodgers – Moneyline (-140)
  Among every team in action today, the 4th-weakest outfield defense is that of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  Explain: Defense is an integral part of preventing (or, in this case, allowing) hits and runs.
• Max Muncy – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-160/+125)
  Atlanta’s #3-ranked outfield defense on the slate today poses a formidable challenge for Max Muncy, who tends to hit a lot of flyballs.
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up poorly with the opposing team’s defensive strength, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.
• Los Angeles Dodgers – 2H Moneyline
  According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen profiles as the 5th-best among all major league teams.
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a strong bullpen sneakily creates a tougher matchup for the opposing offense and suppresses a game’s runs.

Atlanta Braves Insights

• Bryce Elder – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+130/-165)
  Given that flyball pitchers are hit hardest by groundball hitters, Bryce Elder (48.7% FB% per the leading projection system, THE BAT) will be a bit disadvantaged in this matchup with 3 GB hitters in Los Angeles’s projected lineup.
  Explain: This mostly has to do with the way the hitter’s swing plane interacts with the pitch trajectory, and it can create diminished performance across all categories and hidden value few are considering.
• Austin Riley – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+120/-155)
  Austin Riley has negatively regressed with his Barrel% lately; his 19.8% seasonal rate has dropped to 0% in the last week’s worth of games.
  Explain: Barrel% measures how often a player hits the ball at the optimal exit velocity and launch angle and is a terrific measure of underlying power.
• Drake Baldwin – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-135/+105)
  Drake Baldwin has an 86th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (35.1%) and has the misfortune of hitting them towards baseball’s 2nd-deepest LF fences today.
  Explain: This player’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Betting Trends

• Atlanta Braves – Run Line +1.5 (-135)
  The Atlanta Braves have hit the Run Line in 14 of their last 26 games (+3.20 Units / 11% ROI)
• Los Angeles Dodgers – Moneyline (-140)
  The Los Angeles Dodgers have hit the Moneyline in 11 of their last 15 games (+5.55 Units / 18% ROI)
• Austin Riley – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-235/+180)
  Austin Riley has hit the Hits Over in 18 of his last 25 games (+8.10 Units / 17% ROI)