The Atlanta Braves host the Athletics on April 1, 2026. First pitch from Truist Park is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on BravesVsn.
The Braves are favored by -205 on the moneyline and by -1.5 (+104) on the run line. The A's are +172 on the moneyline and +1.5 (-125) on the run line. The total is set at 8 runs (-115 / -105).
Find my MLB picks and Athletics vs Braves prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Athletics vs Braves Prediction
- Athletics vs Braves Pick: Athletics ML (+130 or Better)
My Athletics vs Braves best bet is on the A's to win outright. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Athletics vs Braves Odds
| Athletics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -125 | 8 -115o / -105u | +172 |
| Braves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +104 | 8 -115o / -105u | -205 |
- Athletics vs Braves spread: A's +1.5 (-125), Braves -1.5 (+104)
- Athletics vs Braves over/under: 8 (-115 / -105)
- Athletics vs Braves moneyline: Athletics +172, Braves -205
Athletics vs Braves Projected Starting Pitchers
| Luis Severino (RHP) | Stat | Chris Sale (LHP) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-0 | W-L | 2-0 |
| 0.1 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.1 |
| 3.60 / 3.78 | ERA / xERA | 0.00 / 4.95 |
| 3.80 / 5.28 | FIP / xFIP | 3.20 / 3.69 |
| 1.20 | WHIP | 1.00 |
| 0.0% | K-BB% | 13.0% |
| 50% | GB% | 53.8% |
| 116 | Stuff+ | 115 |
| 99 | Location+ | 107 |
Athletics vs Braves Preview
Athletics Betting Preview
It's been an ugly start to the season for the Athletics, but I blame the schedule more than anything else. Starting the year in Toronto and Atlanta is tough, but the A's have been fairly competitive in most games.
Mark Kotsay will send his ace, Luis Severino, to the mound for his second outing in 2026.
In his season debut, Severino allowed two earned runs across five innings, while walking and striking out three hitters. The good news for Severino? It's a road game. Severino posted a 3.02 ERA in 14 road outings last year.
I expect Severino to have a good season. If his season-opener is any indication, his stuff is up. His velocity jumped from 96.3 MPH on average last year to 97.3 MPH in his first 2026 outing. He also posted a 117 Stuff+ rating in the game. The key to pitching well against the Braves will be limiting the walks.
Before Tuesday, the Athletics posted a 44 wRC+ across four games — the second-worst mark in MLB. Talent-wise, the A's have the lineup talent to be a top-five unit in the sport. It's only a matter of time until things shift.
Shea Langaliers drilled his fourth homer of the year on Tuesday, leading to him boasting a wRC+ close to 300. The issue is Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, and Brent Rooker are hitting below .200. That won't last, and you could likely find better numbers on the A's now than you would in a month.
But the lack of plate presence could be an issue. The Athletics are punching out over 34% of the time (the worst mark among MLB lineups) and are drawing walks just 6.6% of the time (bottom three among MLB lineups).
I certainly have some real reservations about the Athletics bullpen. They don't have a real closer, but I expect Scott Barlow and Mark Leiter Jr. to get most of the chances. Neither is terrible, but most teams would use them in the sixth or seventh inning.
Atlanta Braves Betting Preview
The Braves are off to a solid start to the year. They won two out of three against the Royals and are 1-1 against the Athletics in this series. They'll look to make it back-to-back series wins to kick off the 2026 campaign.
Very few pitchers get better with age, but Chris Sale found the fountain of youth.
The lanky southpaw opened his 2026 season with six scoreless innings in a win over the Royals. He punched out six hitters, and his velocity averaged at 95.6 MPH. Sale posted a 5.00 xERA and 3.70 FIP in the Royals game, so he was a bit lucky. But his stuff is absurd, even at age 36.
Long-term, I think the Braves will be among the top offensive teams in the National League. They could also be very, very streaky.
In the game two loss to the Athletics, the Braves had their chances in the 6th, 7th, and 9th innings, but the top of the order didn't deliver. Ronald Acuna Jr. punched out three times, including twice with him as the tying run at the plate. Matt Olson and Austin Riley have also struggled this year.
The three best hitters for Atlanta are pretty unexpected sources. Drake Baldwin has a 1.101 OPS. He's pretty proven, but he's taken a real leap this year. The other two are Dominic Smith, a veteran journeyman, and Mike Yastrzemski, with an OPS over 1.000. If Smith and Yastzremski can post an .800 or better OPS the rest of the way, the Braves lineup could be elite.
Once the game gets to the 8th and 9th innings, the Braves' elite back-end of the pen can shut things down. Robert Suarez came over on a big contract from the Padres to pitch the 8th inning, setting up Raisel Iglesias for the 9th.
The Athletics will need the lead before the eighth to have a chance.
Athletics vs Braves Picks
I like the A's at the plus-money price.
Sale is better than Severino by a good bit, but I like Severino and think he's worth backing as a heavy road pup.
The Athletics lineup should be able to hit southpaws. Rooker, Wilson, and Langeliers have a strong history of hitting lefties.
Of course, we'll see if that carries into this matchup against a Cy Young candidate.
Still, I think the price is too steep on the Braves, who haven't looked great so far.
The three best hitters in the lineup have struggled, and this feels like the time to fade them.
Pick: Athletics ML (+130 or Better)
