The Braves and Dodgers open a four-game showdown at Chavez Ravine on Thursday night. A spotlight will shine on the recently-acquired Lance Lynn as he takes the mound for the Blue Crew, going head-to-head against none other than Cy Young Award hopeful Spencer Strider of Atlanta.

MLB Betting Odds

The initial odds for this matchup favored Atlanta and Strider at -140 against LA and Lynn, with a projected total of eight runs. However, early bets adjusted the odds, placing the Braves at -130.

Braves-Dodgers Betting Preview

The Braves are riding a wave of dominance, having swept three games against Colorado, including a commanding 7-3 victory in Wednesday's series finale. Before that, they secured two wins out of three games against both San Francisco and the Mets. Their performance over the last six series is nothing short of spectacular, winning all of them and achieving an impressive 15-4 record over their last 19 games. On the other side, the Dodgers are displaying their own prowess, having recently swept a three-game series against Arizona. Their most recent victory, a decisive 7-0 win in Wednesday's series finale, highlights their current strength. Their journey over the last nine series has been remarkable, securing victories in all of them and an impressive 23-4 record in their last 27 games. In terms of the bigger picture, the Braves hold an impressive 87-45 overall record, maintaining a four-game lead over the Dodgers, who stand at 83-49. This puts them in a prime position to claim the best record in the National League. It's worth noting that this series is the second encounter between these teams this season, with the Dodgers previously taking two of three games at Atlanta in May.

Thursday's Pitching Match-Up

Lance Lynn, with a 3/5 record in quality starts since joining the Dodgers a month ago, displayed a mix of performances. While he allowed four runs - three earned - and 10 hits across six innings in a 7-4 victory over Boston last Friday, his previous four starts saw him concede only four earned runs and 17 hits in a span of 25 innings. The Dodgers have an undefeated 5-0 record when Lynn takes the mound. In his most recent encounter with Atlanta, which occurred six weeks ago while he was with the White Sox, Lynn conceded four runs and two home runs over 5 1/3 innings, resulting in a 6-5 Chicago victory. Spencer Strider, making waves as a Cy Young Award contender, has delivered three consecutive quality starts. His latest performance against the Giants showcased his prowess, holding them to one run and three hits across seven innings, supported by one walk and nine strikeouts in a 5-1 victory for the Braves. Over the last three starts, he has allowed a mere one run and seven hits in 21 innings, accompanied by six walks and 25 strikeouts. Strider's contributions have been crucial to Atlanta's impressive 21-5 record this year. In his two career starts against the Dodgers, one this season and another last season, Strider conceded two earned runs and 10 hits across 10 innings. Astonishingly, despite his commendable performance, the Braves suffered defeats in both games.

Splits With the Sticks

Both teams exhibit strong batting performances against right-handed pitching. The Braves boast a .270 batting average, coupled with a .340 team OBP and an impressive .490 team slugging percentage. Similarly, the Dodgers showcase a slash line of .259/.340/.456 against right-handed pitching, ranking both teams in the top three of this category in baseball.

The Bullpens

Comparing the bullpens, the Dodgers hold a bullpen ERA of 3.79 for the season, along with a 1.24 WHIP and a solid 2.77 K/BB ratio. The Braves' bullpen showcases an even stronger performance, boasting a 3.40 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and an impressive 3.21 K/BB ratio. These figures categorize the Braves' bullpen among the top two units in baseball.

MLB Betting Trends

When on the road, Atlanta is a formidable force with a remarkable record of 43 wins out of 66 games, coupled with an impressive 69-37 record against right-handed starters. The Dodgers, at home, have secured 46 victories out of 67 games and maintain a strong 62-30 record against right-handed starters.

Totals Report

In terms of totals, Braves' games have slightly leaned towards the over, with 70 out of 130 games favoring the over. On the other side, the Dodgers have shown a stronger tendency towards the over, with 76 out of 126 games leaning in that direction. At Dodger Stadium, the over has been prevalent, with 34 out of 64 games favoring the over.