T.M. Selection: Atlanta Braves -1.5.

I like the Atlanta Braves runline against the Cincinnati Reds in this game on Thursday. The Braves are the defending World Series champions and I expect them to get off to a strong start here with a win by 2+ runs over the Reds. The Braves were great in the playoffs last year and they were a very dominant team despite not having a lot of the hitting power that some of the other teams they faced had. They did lose some of their hitting power in the offseason too but they also picked up some players to make up for that and the Braves' real strength is their pitching anyway. Max Fried (0-0, 0.00) is the starting pitcher for them in this game and he had a terrific season last year. He finished the 2021 season 14-7 with a 3.04 ERA and I think he is going to pitch a gem in his season debut here. The Braves are also playing on their home field here and I think they will want to start off their season with a big win in their home opener to show that this team is ready to win another World Series this year. They have even won 2 games in a row to end Spring training, including a game where they didn't even allow a run. The Reds have also been hot to end Spring training with 4 wins in a row but I think the Braves have the pitching advantage with their starter here and I also think they have a better bullpen too. Tyler Mahle (0-0, 0.00) is starting for the Reds here and he wasn't awful last year but he wasn't great either. He finished the 2021 season 13-6 with a 3.75 ERA and I think he is going to get lit up by the Braves here. The Reds really haven't done much to bolster their lineup for this year and the Braves not only have the better pitching staff here, but they also have the better hitters. I think the Braves are going to start their year off with a bang here and win this game by 2+ runs.

T.M. Prediction: 6-1 Braves.