Padres vs. Braves: Game 2 prediction, odds, injuries, and picks

The Padres held on in the opening game of their three-game set against the Braves in Atlanta. Having spoiled the return of Ronald Acuna Jr., the Friars are now gunning to claim the series in Game 2 today. First pitch is at 4:10 p.m. Eastern.

San Diego narrowly escaped Game 1 with a score of 2-1. Acuna swung at the first pitch he saw after a long layoff as he hit a leadoff solo shot against Nick Pivetta to put the hosts up by one. Gavin Sheets then equalized for the visitors in the following inning with a solo bomb of his own for his ninth homer of the year.

In the final inning, Manny Machado gave San Diego the go-ahead run and eventually, the win, through a solo home run — his fourth of the season.

Padres vs Braves recent form and records

After a six-game losing streak, the Friars finally broke their run of rough form with the win against the Braves. Although they own an impressive 28-21 record, it's still only good for the third spot in the mega-competitive National League West.

The Braves, on the other hand, hold a 24-26 record that is good for third place in the NL East. On the brighter side of things, the team have Acuna back in the lineup and the squad has quietly established Truist Park as a fortress having won 15 of the 23 contests played in their home turf.

Players to watch

Starting pitchers

SD: Michael King (4-2, 2.59 ERA, 64 K), ATL: Grant Holmes (2-3, 4.01 ERA, 49 K)

San Diego Padres

Ever since his move away from the Yankees, Michael King has established himself as the ace for the Padres. The 29-year-old currently possess a 4-2 record with a 2.59 ERA and 64 strikeouts across 10 starts.

Must-Watch Hitters

Atlanta Braves

As he made it particularly clear in the opening game, rust is not a factor for Ronald Acuna Jr. The 2023 NL MVP seems poised for another All-Star caliber season in spite of a prolonged absence due to a knee injury he suffered last year.

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Padres vs Braves baseball betting odds

Saturday, 5/24	Money Line	Run Line	Total Runs
SD	-108	-1.5, +150	O 8.5, -129
ATL	-101	+1.5, -186	U 8.5, +106

Padres vs Braves expert picks and game prediction

On paper, the Friars overwhelmingly outclass what has been a struggling Braves side. However, Atlanta proved in Game 1 that they can hang with titans such as San Diego. With Acuna's being back and given the record that the Braves have at home, they could potentially upset the visitors to tie the series at 1-1.

Run Line: +1.5, -186

Total Runs: U 8.5, +106

Prediction: ATL wins, 4-3

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

Padres vs. Braves: Game 2 prediction, odds, injuries, and picks - May 24, 2025