Editor's Note: Chris Sale was scratched for the Braves, so Atlanta will start Martin Perez instead. Author Ryan Minion tells me that, "Perez is in good form, anyway."
The Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves on April 17, 2026. First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on NSPA.
The Braves are favored by -108 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Phillies are +108 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 9.5 runs.
Find my MLB SGP and Braves vs Phillies parlay picks below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Braves vs Phillies Predictions, Pick
- Braves F5 ML
- Michael Harris Over 1.5 Total Bases
Parlay Odds: +217 (FanDuel)
Braves vs Phillies Odds
| Braves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +130 | 9.5 -105o / -115u | -108 |
| Phillies Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -156 | 9.5 -105o / -115u | -108 |
Braves vs Phillies Same-Game Parlay
Leg 1: Braves F5 ML
Though Taijuan Walker has a promising start to his MLB career, the righty vet has struggled to find consistency in recent years, particularly over his first three seasons with the Phillies.
Walker failed to post an ERA better than 4.10 in his first few years with the team and has continued to struggle thus far in 2026.
Over the first three outings of the season, the Phillies’ right-hander has been miserable, posting a 7.36 ERA and 1.91 WHIP.
Given Walker’s early-season struggles with both velocity and command, I have little faith in his ability to turn things around on Friday against a loaded Braves’ lineup that features elite hitters on both sides of the plate.
For the road team, Atlanta ace Chris Sale continues to impress in his whopping 18th season, and his third with the Braves.
The Braves’ 37-year-old lefty is coming off consecutive seasons having recorded an ERA sub 2.40, and is off to a scorching start once again — posting a 3.27 ERA over his first three outings of the season.
Sale is tied for second in baseball with three wins on the year, and ranks inside the top-30 thus far in WHIP at 1.05.
While the Phillies lineup is loaded from top-to-bottom, the Braves’ left-hander has a ton of experience versus the great majority of its batters.
In 83 career at-bats versus Philadelphia’s lineup, Sale has allowed just a .229 batting average and has recorded 33 strikeouts in the process.
Aside from Kyle Schwarber, who has gotten the best of the Braves’ ace, having blasted two homers, I worry about the rest of this Phillies’ lineup finding success against a future Hall of Fame pitcher still boasting an elite pitching arsenal.
For the first leg of our SGP for Friday's contest, I feel good backing the visiting Braves on the F5 ML given their sizable edge in the pitching department.
Leg 2: Michael Harris Over 1.5 Total Bases
While Sale has dominated against the Phillies’ lineup, the same can not be said of Walker in his previous history against Atlanta’s hitters.
In 89 collective at-bats against Walker, the Braves’ lineup has batted well over .300 with a .495 slugging percentage, having also blasted three homers and 16 RBIs in the process.
Given the Braves’ overwhelming previous edge over Walker, I will be looking to target player prop markets for the second leg of our SGP.
It is very difficult to choose which Atlanta player to target in this contest, as several players have found success. I'm inclined to back Braves’ outfielder Michael Harris, who has had the biggest edge versus the Phillies’ right-hander.
In nine career at-bats versus Walker, Harris has four hits, with a double and two homers, along with three RBIs.
Though the likes of Ronald Acuña Jr, Austin Riley, and Drake Baldwin would surely be a stellar betting approach as well, Harris has been the best of the four versus Walker — along with having better odds in the player prop markets than the aforementioned Atlanta studs.
I will be looking to back Harris to exceed his total base figure of 1.5 as the second leg of our SGP for Friday's divisional matchup.
- Braves F5 ML
- Michael Harris Over 1.5 Total Bases
Parlay Odds: +217 (FanDuel)
