The Atlanta Braves look to complete the sweep on Sunday Night Baseball against the Texas Rangers. The Rangers offense has yet to get going in the series, but there is optimism that the tide will turn tonight.
Braves rookie right-hander Darius Vines will take on Michael Lorenzen, who is getting his second start of the season after beginning the year on the Injured List.
The ballgame is projected to be a high-scoring affair with the total set at 9.5, so let's dive into both teams to uncover the best Rangers vs. Braves pick.
Sunday, April 21, 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN
Rangers Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
+130 |
9.5 -120 / -102 |
+1.5 -152 |
Braves Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
-154 |
9.5 -120 / -102 |
-1.5 +126 |
Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here.
The Rangers need to get their bats going to avoid the sweep, as the Braves offense has been relentless throughout the series. Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia have had mediocre series thus far, so they'll look to punish the rookie right-hander.
Lorenzen was sharp in his first start of the season, but now he faces arguably the best offense in the National League. Current Braves hitters are 22-80 against him lifetime, but Matt Olson and Orlando Arcia have combined for four home runs and 15 RBIs.
Lorenzen is not a very good starter, as he finished last season with a putrid 6.5 K/9 and nearly 3.0 BB/9 over 153 IP. He may have thrown scoreless baseball in the first start, but he finished the start with a 5.10 xFIP.
It is tough to envision Lorenzen holding down the fort, but as of Sunday morning, nobody seems to give the Rangers a shot to win tonight. I cannot back the Rangers because of Lorenzen, but we'll see a strong effort from the bats tonight.
Vines is one of many promising pitching prospects in the Braves' minor league system who will get multiple opportunities due to the season-ending injury to Spencer Strider. Tonight, he faces a much taller task against the defending world champs.
Vines could not get through five innings in his first career start as he was struggling with his control. In the minor leagues, Vines had difficulty controlling his pitches and often walked many batters.
This lack of control could be detrimental against a strong Rangers offense. Although I have concerns about Vines, the Braves have a talented offense that is capable of winning the game outright.
However, if Vines struggles early, the Braves could find themselves in a difficult situation. Despite this, their offense should provide enough run support for them to have a chance at victory tonight.
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Betting Pick & Prediction
I expect a high-scoring affair on Sunday Night Baseball. The market implies that both of these offenses should have their way with the opposing starting pitcher, and I think we're in for a night full of fireworks.
Vines has the potential to pitch a good game, but his lack of control and inability to keep the ball on the ground gives me plenty of reason to think the Rangers bats wake up tonight.
Lorenzen is not a quality starting pitcher, so the Braves will have no issues contributing to the total. Sit back and enjoy the offensive showcase on Sunday night.
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