It is a pretty good bet that if the Atlanta Braves look over their shoulders in the NL East they will see the Philadelphia Phillies charging hard. As betting on NFL games starts to pick up momentum in Philadelphia, the Phillies are making a move to try and take the NL East pennant from the upstart Atlanta Braves.
The Phillies have won seven of their last 10 games and have moved to within two games of the Braves in the NL East standings. Before sports fans in Atlanta can move on to college football betting, there is still some Braves business to attend to. Earlier in the season the Braves looked like they would run away with the NL East as the Phillies and the New York Mets just could not keep up. But it is little things like the Braves only winning six of their last 10 compared to the Phillies winning seven that has put the Phillies within striking distance of the NL East pennant.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. The Dodgers are five games out of the NL wild card race, and they trail in the NL West by seven games. The Dodgers are not helping their cause as they have only won four out of their last 10 games. At a time when the Dodgers need wins, they are booting games away and losing ground in the standings.
This series is significant to MLB betting enthusiasts because this could either be the Dodgers' last stand, or this could be the Phillies letting the NL East slip away. The Dodgers can win or sweep this series, then they put themselves back in the playoff picture and knock the Phillies a little further off the pace in the NL East. If the Phillies can win or sweep this series, the Dodgers' playoff hopes are pretty much dashed and the Braves have a whole new set of problems to deal with in the Phillies.
The Dodgers will put Vicente Padilla on the mound for this game, which is very good news for Dodgers fans. Padilla is coming off of a very hot two-hit performance against the San Diego Padres in his last start, and he has been one of the hottest pitchers in the majors since June. He has a 5-3 record but boasts a 3.09 ERA. He gives the Dodgers the best chance to win against a hitting team like the Phillies.
Kyle Kendrick takes the mound for the Phillies in this game. Kendrick has a 7-4 record and a 4.37 ERA. Last month the Phillies sent Kendrick to AAA because they were not happy with Kendrick's performance this season. The move put a temporary scare in Kendrick as he performed well in his last start, but he is still having control problems.
The Phillies problem earlier in the season was a lack of offense. Philadelphia had one of the best starting rotations in baseball, but they could not put runs on the board. The Phillies have recently found their bats, and that could mean bad news for the Atlanta Braves.
Pick: Philadelphia Phillies 4-1
