How to Watch the Phillies vs Braves Game – Tuesday April 08, 2025

Philadelphia Phillies

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Atlanta Braves

On April 8, 2025, the Atlanta Braves will host the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park in what promises to be an intriguing National League East matchup. The Braves, struggling with a record of 1-8 this season, are in dire need of a turnaround. In contrast, the Phillies are off to a strong start with a 7-2 record, showcasing their offensive prowess as one of the league’s best.

In their last game, the Phillies managed to secure a victory, further solidifying their momentum. They will send Zack Wheeler to the mound, who has been exceptional with a 1.38 ERA this season. Wheeler ranks as the 4th best starting pitcher in MLB according to advanced-stat Power Rankings, and he projects to allow 2.4 earned runs while striking out 6.7 batters on average today. On the other side, Chris Sale will take the hill for the Braves. Despite being ranked 8th among MLB starters, Sale has struggled with a 5.40 ERA and is still searching for his first win, holding a record of 0-1.

The Braves offense has been a significant concern, ranking 28th in MLB, which could spell trouble against Wheeler. Their projections suggest they may only score 3.50 runs today, a number that reflects their current struggles. Meanwhile, the Phillies’ offense ranks 3rd in MLB, and they have the potential to capitalize on Sale’s vulnerabilities, especially given his tendency to allow hits.

With both teams aiming for a crucial win, the matchup between Wheeler’s elite pitching and the Braves’ lackluster offense will be pivotal. The low Game Total of 7.0 runs indicates that sportsbooks anticipate a tightly contested game, making this an exciting opportunity for bettors looking to capitalize on the dynamics at play.

Philadelphia Phillies Insights

• Zack Wheeler – Over/Under 7.5 Strikeouts (+115/-145)
  Zack Wheeler’s high usage percentage of his fastball (60.1% since the start of last season) is likely hurting his results, since they are generally much less effective than breaking or off-speed pitches.
  Explain: Fastballs are the one easiest pitches to hit and generate few strikeouts, so pitchers who rely too heavily on them tend to be less effective than they otherwise would be.
• Alec Bohm – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-250/+190)
  Alec Bohm’s ability to hit the ball at a base hit-optimizing launch angle (between -4° and 26°) has improved from last year to this one, increasing from 45.8% to 58.6%.
  Explain: Balls that are hit either too high or too low can easy to field, but balls hit between -4° and 26° are far more likely to become base hits.
• Philadelphia Phillies hitters jointly place 21st- in the league for power since the start of last season when judging by their 91.8-mph exit velocity on flyballs.
  Explain: Most home runs are flyballs, and the harder those flyballs are hit, the more often they turn into home runs. This is a strong indicator of power.

Atlanta Braves Insights

• Atlanta Braves – Moneyline (-115)
  The Atlanta Braves infield defense profiles as the 2nd-weakest among all the teams in action today.
  Explain: Defense is an integral part of preventing (or, in this case, allowing) hits and runs.
• Matt Olson – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-135/+105)
  Matt Olson’s quickness has decreased this season. His 25.49 ft/sec Statcast Sprint Speed last year sits at 23.73 ft/sec now.
  Explain: Slow players tend to get fewer hits because they can’t beat out groundballs, fewer extra base hits, and fewer stolen bases.
• Michael Harris II – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+130/-170)
  Michael Harris II hits a high percentage of his flyballs to center field (39.3% — 91st percentile) and sets up very well considering he’ll be hitting out towards baseball’s 5th-shallowest CF fences today.
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.

Betting Trends

• Over/Under 7.0 Game Total (+100/-120)
  The Atlanta Braves have hit the Game Total Under in 83 of their last 136 games (+29.10 Units / 19% ROI)
• Philadelphia Phillies – Over/Under 3.5 Team Total (+105/-135)
  The Philadelphia Phillies have hit the Team Total Under in 63 of their last 108 games (+12.15 Units / 10% ROI)
• Bryson Stott – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-130/+100)
  Bryson Stott has hit the Total Bases Under in 7 of his last 8 away games (+7.85 Units / 84% ROI)