MLB handicapper Dalton Brown is back with a best bet for Saturday's MLB slate.
4:05 p.m. ET: Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants: Braves F5 -0.5 (-118) at BetRivers
The Braves and Giants will continue their weekend set on Saturday, and I'm backing Max Fried and company to handle business through the game's first five innings.
Fried has posted an impressive 2.69 xERA in limited action this season, looking every bit like the ace he is advertised to be more often than not. I'm expecting some adjustments after San Francisco touched him up for nine hits in his last start, especially given SF's exceptionally poor wRC+ of 74 against lefties since the All-Star Break (27th in MLB).
On the other side, Ryan Walker has been excellent as an opener for the Giants - but he's just that, an opener. San Francisco routinely leans on bullpen games, and Saturday looks no different. The Giants' bullpen ranks merely 19th in MLB in xFIP since the break, and a bulk guy like Sean Manaea is hardly enough to scare me away here with Atlanta's offense.