Braves vs. Reds – Predictions & Betting Tips

Bristol Motor Speedway isn’t just for NASCAR races. Major League Baseball will take over the infield of the famed race car venue for a special event known as the “MLB Speedway Classic”. The Atlanta Braves are one of MLB’s most disappointing teams this season and the Cincinnati Reds are once again on the outside of the playoff picture, but for one day they will play before a massive audience expected to be around 85,000 fans for this NL matchup. The teams head to Bristol for the series finale on Saturday, August 2 after playing the first two games at Great America Ballpark in Cincinnati. First pitch from the speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET with television coverage provided by FOX.

Braves vs. Reds Game Preview

At the beginning of the season the Braves were the second favorite on the World Series odds behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers. Atlanta never recovered from a horrendous start that saw them lose their first seven games. The Braves enter the series having dropped two straight, seven of eight, and nine of their last 11 games. They are a season-high 16 games out of first place in the NL East and after Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to Kansas City they are just 1.5 games ahead of Washington for last place. Injuries are a part of the game and the Braves have dealt with more than most clubs. They opened the season with former MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. and ace Spencer Strider on the shelf. There was hope the club would take off following the return of those two, but that didn’t happen. Acuna homered in his first at-bat of his return and is hitting .306 with 14 home runs. He was put back on the IL with an Achilles injury earlier in the week. And the five pitchers who made up the opening day rotation are currently on the IL. However, the Braves are scheduled to send Strider to the bump on Saturday. The former 20-game winner is 5-8 with a 3.71 ERA in 14 starts. His ERA is lower than it was in 2024 when Strider went 20-5.

Coming off a win over the NL West leading Dodgers on Wednesday, the Reds find themselves in the thick of the playoff race only 3.0 games behind San Diego for the third wild card. The club has the makings of a good squad with solid starting pitching led by Andrew Abbott, who is 8-1 with a 2.09 ERA through 18 starts. The lack of an impactful bat in the middle of the order has hurt the offense. The Reds are a middle-of-the-pack club averaging 4.55 runs while collectively hitting .246. Elly De La Cruz has shown why he’s a star in the league leading the team with a .282 average, 18 home runs and 69 RBIs. That combination has the Reds with the best UNDER rate in MLB at 60.2 percent.

Braves vs. Reds Predictions

This could be the game Reds probable starter Chase Burns showcases the talent that made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft. The Reds fast-tracked him to the majors and the road has been bumpy. However, the former Tennessee Volunteer should feel right at home. Burns has allowed 19 earned runs and 30 hits over 27.1 innings in six starts, but has fanned 45 batters. The Braves have slumped offensively and with Acuna on the shelf they could be scraping for runs. With Burns harnessing the pitching arsenal and shutting down Atlanta, the UNDER looks like a strong play. Check out more baseball betting info in the MLB betting strategy guide.

Braves vs. Reds Betting Tips

The Braves have been a money pit with their 45-62 record leaving them as the least profitable team in MLB. They are also 52-47-8 against UNDER. Though the Braves are just 4-9 in games started by Strider, they have cashed the UNDER nine times. Both teams strike out a lot and there are two strikeout pitchers on the bump so backing some K numbers might be a worthwhile wager. Burns has fanned 10 batters in each of his last three starts and totaled 89 strikeouts in 66 minor league innings before getting called up to the show.

Braves vs. Reds Head-to-Head and Key Stats

The Braves took three of four when the clubs met in Atlanta in May and they’ve won five of the last six meetings overall with the UNDER cashing on the MLB odds in four games. The pitching has changed for both sides with Cincy’s Burns a baby in his career. Meanwhile Strider didn’t start any of the previous 10 contests and while his W/L record isn’t sharp his peripherals are decent. Strider has allowed 63 hits with 92 Ks across 77.2 frames. Strider is more experienced and the Reds aren’t going to get involved in many shootouts with their poor offense leading to what should be a Braves victory.