The Atlanta Braves' opportunity for revenge is here, and they'll host the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday night. The Phillies shocked the Braves in last year's postseason, knocking out the reigning champs and going on to win the NL pennant. They lost to the Houston Astros in the World Series, and the 2022 champs are among the eight teams who'll play in Division Series games Saturday. The Astros host the Minnesota Twins at 4:45 p.m. ET, after Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles starts Saturday's AL Division Series Playoffs at 1:03 p.m. ET. The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the other NL Division Series, with Game 1 starting at 9:20 p.m. ET.
First pitch for Phillies vs. Braves is set for 6:07 p.m. ET at Truist Park. The latest MLB odds list Atlanta as the -207 favorite (risk $207 to win $100) and Philadelphia as a +173 underdog. The Orioles (-138), Astros (-157) and Dodgers (-195) also are favorites Saturday. Before making any MLB Division Series picks or parlays, be sure to check out the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It went 331-285 on top-rated MLB money-line picks (+357) over the past two seasons. It entered the 2023 MLB playoffs 91-73 on all top-rated MLB picks this season and has excelled on top-rated run-line picks, going 18-6 (+766). Anybody following has seen big returns.
For Saturday's MLB Division Series games, the model has locked in four MLB best bets. If you successfully parlay the picks, you'd be looking at a payout of 9-1. You can see the model's MLB picks only at SportsLine.
Top MLB picks for Saturday
One pick highly recommended by the model is the Dodgers (-195) beat the Diamondbacks. Los Angeles dominated the most recent series, and that was at Dodger Stadium, as well. The Dodgers outscored Arizona 23-5 in that three-game series in late August. Left-hander Clayton Kershaw, expected to start Saturday, allowed one run on three hits in the second game of that series, a 9-1 Dodgers victory. Kershaw went 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA and 1.06 WHIP this season.
The Dodgers are one of MLB's top offensive teams, led by Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Both hit over .300 and were among four Dodgers with at least 100 RBI. L.A. scored 906 runs in the regular season, second only to the Braves, and 160 more than Arizona. The Dodgers also had 83 more home runs than the Diamondbacks, led by Betts (39), Max Muncy (36), J.D. Martinez (33) and Freeman (29). Merrill Kelly (13-8, 3.37 ERA) is expected to start for Arizona. See the model's top MLB picks here.
How to make Saturday MLB parlays
The model also locked in three other best bets for Saturday, including a money-line underdog that is winning in almost half the simulations. You can see the model's MLB Saturday best bets and parlay only at SportsLine.
What MLB picks should you target for a payout of 9-1? Visit SportsLine now to see the MLB best bets from an advanced model that is 91-73 on all top-rated MLB picks this season, and find out.
