Charlie Cummings previews Monday\u2019s MLB matchup between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Angels and provides his best pick.<\/p>\n
Dueling aces. Big-time bats. This Braves-Angels game has a lot more drama than you\u2019d expect. After the fireworks we saw from the Angels over the weekend, who knows what\u2019s next?<\/p>\n
First pitch is set for 9:38 p.m. ET. The Braves are sturdy -181 Moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a>, while an Angels upset is priced at +149 odds. The game total is set at O\/U 7.5 runs.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get into a pick and prediction for this Braves-Angels game.<\/p>\n Braves vs. Angels Preview<\/p>\n No surprise: Chris Sale has still got it going on for the Braves. The 37-year-old is becoming an ageless wonder. Through two starts and 12 innings pitched, Sale has surrendered only one earned run, picking up two wins in the process. For an Atlanta team with lots of injuries and inefficiencies in the rotation, his steady presence at the top means everything to this team. He can still put that fastball wherever he wants and the slider still has ridiculous bend.<\/p>\n Opposite him is one of the most unheralded pitchers in the big leagues. Jose Soriano didn\u2019t put up ace-level numbers for the Angels last year, but he was a workhorse. There was a baseline worth betting on: nobody in baseball boasted a better ground ball rate than Soriano, generating a worm-killer in 66% of at-bats against him. That\u2019s staying steady this year, but he\u2019s improving his swing-and-miss stuff through an interesting change in pitch mix.<\/p>\n Pretty cool seeing how Jose Soriano is shifting his pitch usage in the early going. More four-seamers and fewer sinkers, with a tick up in velocity, has produced 8.4% more whiffs without sacrificing his elite ground ball numbers pic.twitter.com\/on3s1uUROZ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11) April 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n If he keeps the whiffs up while using his heavy sinker and bendy curveball to get grounders, he could be in for a huge season. Atlanta\u2019s offense will be hard-pressed to keep up.<\/p>\n But keeping up has hardly been an issue for Atlanta\u2019s lineup in the early going. Despite early struggles by Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr. and Austin Riley, the Braves\u2019 bats are cooking. Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and young phenom catcher Drake Baldwin are putting up huge numbers so far. Strong contributions from Mauricio Dubon and Dominic Smith have helped to lengthen the lineup, reducing pressure on the top bats. It\u2019s a great formula that will get even better once their former MVP rounds into shape.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Angels will be batting without their former MVP tonight. Mike Trout, who was off to a good start, is out of the lineup after being hit by a pitch in the Mariners series. Luckily for the Angels (and their fans), Trout is only considered day-to-day, but they\u2019ll have to make do without him tonight. The lineup is already weak; they\u2019ve posted an OPS+ of 88 as a group (100 is league average). This means a carry job from Zach Neto and Jo Adell is needed\u2026 maybe Adell needs to find his home run-robbing magic again.<\/p>\n In case you missed it last night:<\/p>\n Angels outfielder Jo Adell robbed 3 (no, it\u2019s not a typo) home runs last night\u2026 3!!!!<\/p>\n Each one was better than the last. This has to be the first time it\u2019s ever happened & might be the last\u2026 Legitimately unbelievable! pic.twitter.com\/RaPhKnvr2d<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) April 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Now we know these two squads a bit better. Who is taking home the win tonight?<\/p>\n Braves vs. Angels Pick, Best Bet<\/p>\n It was hard enough to trust the L.A. bats with Trout in the lineup. Without him, and facing Chris Sale, this has serious hydrogen bomb vs. coughing baby vibes. I expect Sale to pitch extremely well and to carry his team to a third win in three starts.<\/p>\n But Soriano will do his work. The ground-ball style will place pressure on an Atlanta lineup reliant on big swings. It won\u2019t result in a win, but he will put up a heroic effort to keep pace with Sale before his offense and bullpen let him down.<\/p>\n Best Bet: Atlanta Braves Moneyline + Under 7.5 Total Runs Same Game Parlay (+244)<\/a><\/p>\n