Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets: Odds, Preview, & Prediction | Tuesday, July 12th

Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets Preview: Braves offense should show up at home

The defending champion Atlanta Braves host the New York Mets tonight in the second game of their series. The division rivals played an extremely competitive game last night that featured two very effective pitchers. The two teams seem poised to have a season-long battle for top position in the East Division of the National League. Tonight's matchup should prove to be no different.

If you want betting action on this game, you've come to the right place. Below, you will find a brief preview of each team followed by a prediction for the game.

Atlanta Braves Preview:

"#NewProfilePic" - Braves

After a rough start to the season, the Atlanta Braves have gone on a nice run and now sit only two games behind the New York Mets for the division lead. Both the Braves offense and pitching staff rank in the top 10 in the MLB in many important categories. This is important because you can't expect the offense to perform every night.

The Braves will send Spencer Strider to the mound tonight, and he has been very effective to this point. Strider is a flamethrower who has the ability to rear back and send his fastball to the plate at over 100 miles per hour. He has a 4-2 record so far, with a very respectable ERA of 2.60. He will be tasked with shutting down a very good New York offense.

The Braves offense has been very good lately, ranking eighth in team batting average and fifth in runs per nine innings. They've been led by Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley, and Matt Olson. These three will be asked to contribute in a big way tonight. The key to victory for Atlanta is to show up offensively, because Strider has been very capable of limiting opponent runs.

New York Mets Preview:

"Let's make it two in a row. #LGM" - Mets

The New York Mets have been one of the most consistent teams in the MLB. Their 54-33 record puts them in a prime position to make a playoff run. Like the Braves, both the Mets pitching staff and offense rank in the top 10 in the MLB in many categories. They are set to clash with their division rival to most likely determine who will carry the division lead into the All-Star break.

David Peterson will take the mound for New York. Peterson has been very effective this season, with a 5-1 record accompanied by a 3.48 ERA. He has faced the Braves once this season, and he was roughed up a little. The Braves put up three runs in five innings back in their first meeting.

The Mets offense is led by Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor. The two have contributed mightily to the success of this team and will be asked to do the same tonight. The key to victory for the Mets is to get a quality start from David Peterson and keep the game scoring low.

Pick/Prediction: Atlanta Braves Team Total over 4.5 (-115)

The Braves have performed extremely well against left-handed pitchers this season. Tonight, they have a good matchup against southpaw David Peterson. They already have had success against him earlier this season, so we're not asking too much. We're going to go with the Braves to score 5+ runs!