Dodgers vs. Braves Best Bet: Does Marcell Ozuna Have the Edge Against Dustin May on Sunday Night Baseball?
The Atlanta Braves will attempt to stop their three-game losing skid on Sunday Night Baseball against the red-hot Dodgers, who've won seven straight. Can Marcell Ozuna and the Braves find a way to fight back at home tonight? Peter Alexis previews this Sunday Night Baseball battle of NL powerhouses on ESPN, and gives his best bet in Dodgers vs. Braves.
Peter Alexis - May 4, 2025, 11:20 AM EDT
6 minDodgers vs. Braves Best Bet: Does Marcell Ozuna Have the Edge Against Dustin May on Sunday Night Baseball?
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves meeting on Sunday Night Baseball should have been one of the early headliners of this MLB season. But the Braves just can't seem to figure it out so far.
The Dodgers are coming in as the best team in baseball, and no one should be surprised. Their preseason win total was 103.5, and they are well on their way after a 23-10 start. They are edging out the Mets and Padres by a few games for the best record amid their seven-game win streak.
LA has already taken the first two games against the Braves in this series, and swept them back in April at Dodger Stadium, bringing the season record to 5-0. That's just not going to cut it for an Atlanta team that was picked to be a second-best in the National League (93.5 total wins), as they continue to flounder.
The Braves started 0-7, and are now a measly 14-18 through the first five weeks of the season. They are the 30th team in MLB history to lose their first seven games, and the other 29 didn't sniff the playoffs. In fact, only two of them finished over .500.
ATL has been in this category five times over the years, most recently in 2016. Can they snap the trend and find a way to overcome their disastrous start? It'll have to start with an upset win on Sunday Night Baseball, so let's take a look at this Dodgers vs. Braves preview and best bet.
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Dodgers vs. Braves Odds
- Moneyline: Dodgers (-140), Braves (+120)
- Runline: Dodgers -1.5 (+110), Braves +1.5 (-130)
- Total: Over 9 (-115), Under 9 (-105)
Dodgers vs. Braves Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Sunday, May 4th, 2025
- Time: 7:00 PM ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN
Click here to see complete Dodgers vs. Braves Odds
Dodgers vs. Braves Prediction
Dustin May is back in the Dodgers rotation after missing the entire 2024 season with a rare esophageal tear, you don't hear that one everyday. But he's thrown for 5 or more innings in all five starts, and seems to be warming up. He already faced this Braves team back on April 1st in LA, where the Dodgers won 3-1 and he allowed just one hit.
May is holding this Braves lineup to a stunning .138 batting average, with only one Atlanta player recording any hits against him in 29 at bats. That player is Marcell Ozuna, who actually has four total career hits against May in six total at-bats.
While everything is pointing towards the Dodgers here besides the contrarian angle of "they must lose eventually", that Ozuna stat has stuck out in the data. May has never gotten him out in six plate appearances, with four hits - including a homer and 2 RBIs - and two walks. In that early April matchup, he singled and walked, and later scored a run.
Ozuna isn't playing his best ball, but he's been solid enough for a struggling Braves team. Currently hitting .276, his only hit in the last four games came last night. He was previously up in the low .300's before this mini slump. Ozuna plays his best when the lights are the brightest, so look for him to shine in primetime tonight.
The Braves have lost three games in a row, and don't want to get swept by their main NL rival in the season series after dropping the first five. Will they win? I wouldn't bet on it, especially with the way LA is hitting. A better play is to ride with Ozuna here, and if they do manage to win, you can be assured that he will have a major hand in it with this historical matchup advantage against May telling the story.
We're going to rock with the Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI prop in this one, especially with a high total of nine in this game. It's clear that Ozuna hits May's pitch mix well, but it's hard to bet on him to record over total bases or a home run. Instead, it makes more sense to go after the HRR prop, given that added knowledge that he has walked several times against May. This is the best way to ensure he can record at least two of these stats tonight, although he could crush over the prop with just one swing.
Dodgers vs. Braves Best Bet
- Pick: Marcell Ozuna Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI's (-115) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best Dodgers vs. Braves prop odds
MLB ODDS
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