Xam’s Gem(s):
Braves Money Line -162
After losing Game 1, the Braves face a near must-win tonight at home. Fortunately for them, they turn to Max Fried. Fried battled injuries all year, but when he pitched, he was pretty good, turning in a 2.55 ERA. He also has plenty of playoff experience, with 61 career innings in the playoffs. The Braves were the best team in the league this year, and they know they can ill afford to go down 0-2 and have to travel to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. The Phillies will turn to Zack Wheeler, who also had an impressive year, with a 3.61 ERA. The Braves should have a sense of urgency tonight, and the fans will be rowdy from the first pitch. The Braves have a fully rested bullpen and in a game that is essentially a must win, look for them to use all of their premium bullpen arms tonight.
Raiders Money Line -142
The Raiders are essentially playing for their season tonight, as a loss would drop them to 1-4. Fortunately for them, Jimmy Garoppolo is back from a concussion and Davante Adams is going to play despite a shoulder injury. Expect a heavy dose of Josh Jacobs tonight. The Packers are allowing almost 4.5 per rushing attempt, and the Raiders have one of the best running backs in the league. The Packers are fortunate to not be 1-3, and they have their own injuries to deal with. Aaron Jones and Christian Watson have both been dealing with hamstring injuries, and the offensive line is banged up as well. Jaire Alexander is expected to play, but he’s been dealing with a back injury. The Raiders are healthier and at home tonight. Jordan Love has struggled in recent games as well. He has 3 interceptions in his last 2 games. Look for the healthier team and the team at home to play with a different sense of urgency and get it done tonight.
Dodgers Money Line -156
Clayton Kershaw never gave the Dodgers a chance in Game 1, and the game was over in the 2nd inning with the Dodgers down 9-0. Tonight, they have to beat Zac Gallen in order to avoid going down 0-2 in a best-of-5 series. Although Gallen had a nice year overall, he was iffy on the road, pitching to a 4.42 ERA. Bobby Miller was a pleasant surprise for the Dodgers this year, pitching to a 3.76 ERA. In his last 3 starts of the year, he went 18 innings and only gave up 4 runs. He will likely have a short leash tonight, but the Dodgers have been here before. They are more than battle tested. Look for the stars to come out swinging tonight. It’ll be all hands on deck for LA tonight, but they know what this moment is like and they’ll be ready.