The Atlanta Braves (14-16) host the Los Angeles Dodgers (21-10) on Friday, May 2, 2025. First pitch from Truist Park is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET; the game will be broadcast on MLB Network.
The Braves and Dodgers were expected to be two of MLB’s powerhouse teams entering this year — only one has held up their end a month into the season. The Dodgers have the best record in baseball, as everybody expected. But Atlanta has gotten off to a very slow start and sits two games under .500. The Braves have played much better recently, winning nine of their last 12 games.
Find my Dodgers vs Braves prediction below, as well as picks for a same-game parlay.
Dodgers vs Braves Parlay, Predictions
- Dodgers Moneyline
- Over 9
- Teoscar Hernandez
Parlay Odds: +196
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Atlanta Braves Odds
| Dodgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-1.5 -115 | 9 -115o / -105u | -190 |
| Braves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+1.5 -105 | 9 -115o / -105u | +158 |
Dodgers vs Braves Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) | Stat | RHP Grant Holmes (ATL) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-2 | W-L | 2-1 |
| 1.2 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | -0.2 |
| 1.06 /2.52 | ERA /xERA | 4.50 / 5.12 |
| 2.28 /2.23 | FIP / xFIP | 5.47 / 4.73 |
| 1.00 | WHIP | 1.25 |
| 24.2% | K-BB% | 7.7% |
| 62.8% | GB% | 38.4% |
| 97 | Stuff+ | 91 |
| 108 | Location+ | 99 |
Dodgers vs Braves Preview & Prediction
Dodgers Betting Preview: Yamamoto Dominant
No pitcher has gotten off to a better start than Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Japanese sensation had a great rookie campaign, going 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts last year. But he has been even better in his second season.
Through the first six starts, Yamamoto has a 1.06 ERA, the best mark in baseball. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in every start, including three shutout outings. Most ground-ball pitchers do not have elite strikeout upside; however, Yamamoto excels at both. He ranks in the top 10% of the league in ground-ball and strikeout rates. His splitter has been lethal.
What makes this Dodgers team so scary is that it doesn’t even feel like they have played all that well. They rank third in the league in scoring and aren’t even playing their best baseball. Nobody is really exceeding expectations, and the Dodgers are still in the top five in nearly every category.
Mookie Betts got off to a slow start after dealing with an illness and is hitting just .250 with a .746 OPS. Max Muncy and Michael Conforto have both been terrible. Even Shohei Ohtani has not been at the same elite level we’ve come to expect.
Braves Betting Preview: Holmes Struggling
Grant Holmes has been one of the most fun stories in the game over the last 12 months. After 10 seasons grinding it out in the minor leagues, Holmes finally made his Major League debut last June for the Braves. He primarily worked out of the bullpen, making 26 appearances over the second half and becoming one of the Braves' more reliable relievers down the stretch.
With some early injuries to the Braves pitching staff, Holmes has been moved into the starting rotation. He has not been as sharp as he was out of the bullpen, pitching to a 4.67 ERA in his five starts. He is coming off his worst start, allowing six runs in three homers to Arizona.
Even without Ronald Acuña Jr., nobody expected to see the Braves sitting in the bottom half of the league a month into the season. Atlanta ranks 17th in scoring and every hitter in the lineup has underperformed expectations to this point.
Marcell Ozuna is the only starter with an OPS over .800 on the Braves. Austin Riley has been super consistent, Matt Olson has looked nothing like the form we have come to expect, and Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies have really struggled.
Dodgers vs Braves Prediction, Over/Under Pick
It is terrifying for the rest of the league that Los Angeles is not playing close to their best baseball yet still has the best record in the league. That is how deep and dangerous this team is. They can afford to be inconsistent because somebody is going to hit, and they are still going to be able to score.
Freddie Freeman finally looks healthy and Teoscar Hernandez is absolutely mashing the ball right now with a 1.370 OPS over the last week. Ohtani has underperformed his expectations and still has a .950 OPS.
This team should be able to jump all over Holmes here. His fastball has been underwhelming, and teams have had no problem barreling it up. He has had a ton of issues locating his pitches this season, either missing the zone completely or leaving it over the middle of the plate. Holmes has allowed 13 walks in five starts, and if you give free bases to this Dodgers’ team, they are going to put up crooked numbers in a hurry.
Yamamoto has been outstanding and is certainly capable of shutting down any lineup in the league, but it’s hard to imagine him keeping this pace up all season. He has a 2.52 xERA which is still terrific, but a run and a half higher than his current ERA. He can have command issues at times himself, and he is allowing hard contact at a below-average rate.
Atlanta’s offense has been anything but crisp, but it has also gotten pretty unlucky. The Braves have a team wOBA of .319 but an xwOBA of .332, which ranks ninth in the league. They have the sixth-highest barrel rate and have hit the ball hard, just right at people.
I am banking on the star power in these lineups showing up Friday night.
Pick: Over 9
Moneyline
I have no bet on the moneyline.
Run Line (Spread)
I also do not see value on the run line in this matchup.
Over/Under
My best bet is over 9 between the Dodgers and Braves on Friday night.
Dodgers vs Braves Same-Game Parlay
- Dodgers Moneyline
- Over 8.5
- Teoscar Hernandez Hit
Parlay odds: +196 (DraftKings)
