Braves vs. Diamondbacks: Game 3, prediction, odds, injuries and picks

The Atlanta Braves look to sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks in the closing game of their three-game series. Atlanta has already claimed its second-straight series win after disposing of the Cardinals earlier this week. Today, the Braves seek to continue their momentum against the D'backs, as the latter has yet to unlock the key to stop the visitors.

Atlanta spoiled slugger Eugenio Suarez's historic four-home run game. In a see-saw affair that saw ten innings, the team had to overcome a four-run lead as Suarez's bat was malding hot through the contest. Fortunately for them, a wild pitch by D'backs reliever Justin Martinez handed over the victory to the Braves at the end of ten frames.

As for the Diamondbacks, the squad has to bounce back from a demoralizing loss after being anchored by their slugger's record-making performance.

Braves vs Diamondbacks recent form and records

Atlanta has now recorded three straight victories and has won seven of its last ten games. Although the Braves have a 4-11 record on the road so far, the team has climbed to third in the NL East rankings.

Arizona, meanwhile, has lost its fourth-straight game. The team still owns a winning record at 14-13, but given that they are in the ultra-competitive NL West, their win-loss record is just good for fourth place.

Players to watch

Starting pitchers

ATL: Spencer Schwellenbach (1-1, 2.56 ERA), AZ: Brandon Pfaadt (4-1, 2.73 ERA)

Arizona Diamondbacks

D'backs starter Brandon Pfaadt is tied for the MLB lead in terms of victories with four. Pfaadt owns a 2.73 ERA across five starts with 23 strikeouts and a 1.24 WHIP.

Must-Watch Hitters

Atlanta Braves

Slugger Marcell Ozuna has played a starring role in Atlanta's offense at the behest of the still-shelved star Ronald Acuna Jr. The three-time All-Star owns a slash line of .311/.490/.541 with an OPS of 1.031. Ozuna also has five home runs, ten RBIs and an MLB-best 26 base on balls drawn.

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Braves vs Diamondbacks baseball betting odds

Sunday, 4/27	Money Line	Run Line	Total Runs
ATL	-119	-1.5, +142	O 8.5, -101
AZ	-109	+1.5, -176	U 8.5, -119

Braves vs Diamondbacks expert picks and game prediction

Bookmakers have pegged the game almost even with a slight lean to Atlanta. The series-closer is expected to be a pitching battle between starters Spencer Schwellenbach and Brandon Pfaadt, as both hurlers are enjoying fine form.

If no team could find a breakthrough, unlike the high-octane game yesterday, it will be a battle of attrition between the bullpens, in which Atlanta has proven that it can shut off the D'backs offense when needed.

Run Line: +1.5, -176

Total Runs: U 8.5, -119

Prediction: AZ wins, 5-2

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Daniel Santiago