MLB Betting Series Preview: Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves

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MLB Betting Series Preview: Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves

After getting roughed up by the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cincinnati reds will take on the Atlanta Braves in hopes of moving back into second place in the NL East.

It's a third-place grudge match between two teams that were a lot closer to first place last week. The Braves had a rough start to their road trip last week, dropping a two-game set in Arizona, and losing two of the three Cactus League games against the Los Angeles Angels. They rebounded against the Pirates, but then the Pirates really are the backup point guard of the baseball world.

The best hitter for the Braves has been Eric Hinske, David Ross, and Joe Mather -- duct-taped together as if Cerberus married a Swiss Army knife and gave birth to a slow, slow Tony Phillips who could catch. (And yes, I sincerely believe that's the perfect analogy, so I'll just move on ...)

The Reds have been in total free-fall, losing eight of nine to drop four games behind the Cardinals. It's not like they're getting unlucky and dropping a bunch of one-run games because of weird bounces and capricious calls. They've been a sloppy, sloppy baseball team. They probably felt like their fortunes were turning when they took the second game of a four-game set in Philadelphia, but then they ran into the Wilson Valdez buzzsaw. Scary-but-true fact: teams that have lost to Wilson Valdez have never won another game. Look it up.

Probable starting pitchers:

Friday - Mike Leake vs. Tommy Hanson

Saturday - Bronson Arroyo vs. Derek Lowe

Sunday - Johnny Cueto vs. Jair Jurrjens

The Reds are slumping coming into this matchup but the bats are starting to wake up at the right time. If they can get out of the gate early with offense they will have a chance of taking two out of three games and the series.

MLB Series Prediction: Cincinnati Reds