MLB matchup analysis

Braves vs Phillies Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Sunday, September 6, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park · 1:10 PM ET

Pass

Leo decision: Pass on Braves vs Phillies

Lab Rating
4.1/10
Model lean
Braves 57.7%
Market probability
50.0%
Model edge
+7.7%
Best moneyline
-104
Sportsbooks checked
9
Leo model
57.7%
Market
50.0%

The case for Atlanta Braves

Why Leo leans Atlanta Braves
Leo's model makes Atlanta Braves 57.7% to win. No single factor dominates — the starting pitcher matchup, recent bats tilt the same way, enough to lean Atlanta Braves even though it does not clear the bar for a high-confidence pick.

The case for Philadelphia Phillies

The case is thin
The model finds little going Philadelphia Phillies's way — it trails on the pitching plan, bullpen, and recent form. The main path to a Philadelphia Phillies win is variance.

Why it is not official

Below the 61.0% official gate
Win probability is 57.7%. Leo does not make a game official below 61.0%, no matter how good the price is. This is a value spot, not a high-confidence winner.
Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 4.1/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 1.33/10
Leo leans toward Atlanta Braves, but not strongly enough to earn full conviction credit.
Pitching plan: 17.33/40
Tyler Mahle rates 65 on Leo's pitcher score, judged on its own merits (50-80 is the credited range). Average or below by that measure, so it earns little or none of the available credit here -- independent of who the opponent is throwing.
Offense: 22.38/50
Atlanta Braves's recent form does not clearly outpace Philadelphia Phillies's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 60.1%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, Leo's team-strength model alone makes Atlanta Braves 60.1% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 6 points
The pitcher-score gap favors Atlanta Braves by 6 points. This is the biggest single mover of the price -- a large gap moves it a lot, a small gap barely moves it.
Bullpen adjustment: -0.027
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward Philadelphia Phillies. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 60.1% -> 57.7%
Team strength alone had Atlanta Braves at 60.1%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 57.7% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict Leo passes. The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Read the full model output

The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.

Final result

Braves 5, Phillies 4

How the analysis held up

Atlanta Braves won, the side Leo's model favored.

Leo's two internal reads disagreed pregame by 42 points — the team-strength model favored Atlanta Braves, the run-projection model favored Philadelphia Phillies. The team-strength model had the winner here.

Tyler Mahle (Atlanta Braves), the starter Leo's pitcher score favored, actually outpitched Aaron Nola: 6.0 IP, 0 ER (0.00 ERA) against 7.0 IP, 1 ER (1.29 ERA). The edge held up. Both starters were sharp; the edge is a narrow one between two good outings.

The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen was not flagged pregame, but it had a night worth noting: 4 earned runs allowed over 2.0 relief innings (18.00 ERA) — quietly worse than the pregame read implied.

Atlanta Braves scored 5, 2.3 more than the 2.7 pregame projection.

Game information

MatchupAtlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies
DateSunday, September 6, 2026
First pitch1:10 PM ET
VenueCitizens Bank Park
Starting pitchersTyler Mahle vs Aaron Nola
WeatherGame-time forecast: 74°F, 1% precipitation chance, 5 mph wind from E.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Tyler MahleBraves · RHP
vs
Aaron NolaPhillies · RHP
MetricBravesPhillies
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings5⅓5⅓
ThrowsRR
Leo pitcher score (higher is better)6558
ERA (lower is better)4.054.76
WHIP (lower is better)1.271.37
K/9 (higher is better)8.59.4
K-BB% (higher is better)14.9%16.6%
K% (higher is better)22.8%24.4%
BB% (lower is better)7.9%7.8%
BB/9 (lower is better)3.03.0
HR/9 (lower is better)1.21.9
Ground-ball rate50.4%45.8%
Fly-ball rate49.6%54.2%

Pitcher edge: Leo gives Tyler Mahle a 7-point edge over Aaron Nola, driven mainly by HR/9 (1.17 vs 1.86) and ERA (4.05 vs 4.76).

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Tyler Mahle strikeouts
3.7 Leo projected Ks
Official pick: UNDER 4.5K · -0.8K difference
Market 4.5K · O +102 / U -125 · 4 books
Aaron Nola strikeouts
6.0 Leo projected Ks
Official pick: OVER 5.5K · +0.9K difference
Market 5.5K · O -140 / U +115 · 4 books

Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.

Both sides arrive in similar form. Braves are 7-3 in their last 10 and averaging 3.9 runs per game over the last 15 days; Phillies are 7-3 in their last 10 and averaging 4.3 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Braves carry the better run differential per game (+0.84 against +0.24).

MetricBravesPhillies
Last 107-37-3
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)5-5 on the road8-2 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7370.696
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3240.308
Runs per game, last 15 days3.94.3
K% last 15 days (lower is better)23.0%18.6%

Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.

30-day offense

Full offense tool →
Last 30 daysBravesPhillies
OPS0.674 (-0.049 vs szn)0.728 (+0.016 vs szn)
Runs per game3.46 (-1.154 vs szn)4.78 (+0.326 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.297 (-0.021 vs szn)0.321 (+0.008 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)24.3% (+2.5% vs szn)17.2% (-4.9% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Phillies have been the better offense, 0.321 wOBA to 0.297. Braves are striking out at 24.3% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricBravesPhillies
Record84-5880-62
Run differential / game (team quality)+0.84+0.24
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.654.48
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)3.814.24
Season OPS0.7240.713
K% season (lower is better)21.8%22.1%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7330.714

Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.

Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Braves and Phillies are highlighted.

Braves
Combined risk
5.2 Normal
Fatigue
6.1 Normal
Efficiency
6.8 Effective
Phillies
Combined risk
4.3 Normal
Fatigue
4.9 Normal
Efficiency
6.2 Effective

Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.

MetricBravesPhillies
Fatigue6.1/10, Normal4.9/10, Normal
Efficiency6.8/10, Effective6.2/10, Effective
Combined risk5.2/10, Normal4.3/10, Normal
Relief innings, last 7 days24.316.3
Back-to-back arms44
7-day ERA2.222.76
7-day WHIP0.901.10

Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
Leo projection
7.9
Market total
8.0
Projected away runs
2.6
Projected home runs
4.6
Over price
-107
Under price
-107
Atlanta Braves team total
2.6 projected
Line 3.5 · O -139 / U +114
Under research lean (-0.9)
Philadelphia Phillies team total
4.6 projected
Line 3.5 · O -122 / U +105
Over research lean (+1.1)

The model and market are close. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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