Max Fried will get the start for the Braves (75-42, 37-20 home) as they host the Yankees (60-58, 25-30 away) at Truist Park. The Yankees will give the starting nod to Clarke Schmidt. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves.

NEW YORK YANKEES VS ATLANTA BRAVES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Atlanta Braves -1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Truist Park at 7:20 ET on Monday, August 14th.

WHY BET THE ATLANTA BRAVES:

  • The Braves are 2-1 against the runline in their three most recent games as the favorite.
  • New York have failed to cover the runline in two straight road games.
  • The Braves are 2-1 in Max Fried’s last three starts.

NEW YORK YANKEES LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

This season, the Yankees have played a total of 38 series and are above .500 at 16-15-7. On the road, New York is 25-30 and 35-28 at home. Their overall record of 60-58 has the Yankees sitting 5th in the AL East.

Clarke Schmidt is making his 25th appearance of the 2023 season, with an 8-6 record to date. His ERA stands at 4.23, and opposing batters are hitting .256 against him. On the road, Schmidt has been particularly effective, going 5-1 with a 4.92 ERA; however, he has struggled at home, where his ERA is 4.01 and he holds a 3-5 record. Overall, teams have a slugging percentage of .442 against him this season.

The Yankees emerged victorious in Schmidt’s most recent start, defeating the White Sox 7-1. The right-hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, surrendering four hits and one earned run while earning his fourth win of the season.

For the season, the Yankees are 20th in batting average, hitting a combined .232. Over their last five games, they have hit .252 which is 10th in that span. New York’s average of 4.3 runs per game puts them 19th in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 163 times and have a team slugging percentage of .404.

Gleyber Torres has been a major contributor to the Yankees’ offense this season, boasting a .269 batting average and .441 slugging percentage. Over the past ten games, he has been New York’s top hitter, batting an impressive .344.

WILL THE ATLANTA BRAVES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Atlanta’s record of 75-42 has them sitting 1st in the NL East. At home, the Braves have won two straight series. Their overall home record is 37-20. Against the runline, the Braves are 61-56 along with an over/under record of 64-49.

The Braves will look to Max Fried, who has a 3-1 record over seven appearances. His ERA is 2.50, and he’s struck out 9.25 batters per nine innings. Additionally, his FIP is 2.60 and opponents have a .264 on-base percentage against him.

Max Fried’s most recent start against the Pirates saw him surrender four runs on six hits in four innings. Despite not being credited with the win or loss, the Braves emerged victorious, 6-5.

The Braves have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 16 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 3rd best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 1st in home runs and 1st in slugging percentage. Overall, Atlanta is averaging 5.8 runs per game (1st).

Over the Braves’ last five games, Austin Riley has been on a tear, leading the team with hits and boasting a .417 batting average. This season, he’s hit .280 and driven in 75 runs.