Red Sox vs Braves Predictions: Who Wins First Game Of Key Two-Game Set?

• Braves leading NL East by seven games entering Tuesday
• Red Sox in fourth place despite strong 21-15 record
• Nick Pivetta and Charlie Morton to start this contest

Red Sox vs Braves Odds

Odds taken from Caesars Sportsbook

Red Sox vs Braves Pick

• Braves -1.5 (+105)

Red Sox vs Braves Predictions

On Tuesday night, the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves will face off in a marquee interleague matchup from Atlanta. Both of these teams are above .500 for the season so far, but the relative strengths of their respective divisions has put them in vastly different places in the standings. Here, both teams will look for a statement win regardless of where in the standings they are in the second week of May.

Boston Red Sox Predictions

The Boston Red Sox are 21-15 heading into Tuesday’s MLB action, which would be good enough to lead or be tied for the lead in three other MLB divisions. Unfortunately for Boston, they are in the AL East, which means that their 21-15 record is only good for fourth place at this point in time. But the Red Sox have exceeded expectations so far this season and will aim to continue to do so against the NL East-leading Braves.

In order to pull off an upset on Tuesday night, the Red Sox will need Nick Pivetta to throw one of his best games of the season so far. Pivetta is 2-2 on the season with a 4.99 ERA and has allowed three or more earned runs in each of his last four starts. In fairness to Pivetta, those starts came against some potent offenses like the Blue Jays, Brewers, and Angels. But Pivetta needs to be better if the Red Sox are going to win against this quality Braves lineup.

Offensively, the Red Sox have done a nice job of not missing a beat given all the talent that has moved on from their franchise over the last couple of offseasons. They rank third in the league in runs scored, and have put five or more runs on the board in four of their last five games. On the road, against a Braves team that also ranks in the top 10 in scoring, the bats for Boston need to step up to deliver a victory.

Atlanta Braves Predictions

The Atlanta Braves come into Tuesday’s action at 24-11 on the season, sitting seven games ahead of the New York Mets in the NL East standings. Atlanta comes into Tuesday having won two games in a row, winning their weekend series with the Baltimore Orioles thanks to a wild 12-inning victory in the rubber match. Here, the Braves aim for a third straight win, and to improve a surprisingly average home record in 2023.

Despite being 13 games above .500, the Braves are just 9-8 at home coming into Tuesday night. They have done the bulk of their damage on the road this year, going an incredible 15-3 away from Truist Park on the year. If they can start stringing wins together at home on a more consistent basis, the Braves could become the favorite to win the World Series by the time summer rolls around.

In this contest, the Braves will send Charlie Morton to the mound, who is looking to bounce back from a rough start in his last time out against the New York Mets. Morton allowed four earned runs in 5.1 innings of work against the Mets, and he enters this game with a 3-3 record and a 3.38 ERA. Morton is allowing over a hit per inning so far this season, and will need to tighten things up here against a dangerous Red Sox team.

How to Watch Boston Red Sox vs Atlanta Braves 

• What: Boston Red Sox vs Atlanta Braves
• When: Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 7:20 PM ET
• Where: Trust Park, Atlanta, GA
• How to Watch: TBS