Back Braves In Potential World Series Preview

Braves vs. Rays, 6:40 ET

How early is too early to talk about World Series previews? In baseball, much like hockey, any team that gets hot at the right time could make a run and even hoist the trophy at the end of the year. Look at the Phillies last year, or even the Panthers in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs. We don't know if there will be a surprise team this year, but if the season ended today, the Braves and Rays would be the most likely candidates for the World Series.

There aren't too many teams that you'd rather support right now than the Braves. They've been dominant in every aspect of the game, and keep in mind, they aren't even technically at full strength as they've lost one of (if not the) best starter in their rotation. The team is batting an eye-popping .274 collectively, and they have one of the best young players in the game. For all the attention that Shohei Ohtani gets, Ronald Acuna Jr. is having a heck of a season himself. Today, the Braves send out Charlie Morton to the mound. He has had somewhat of a throwback season, posting a 3.57 ERA. On the road is where Morton has been even better. Morton should be familiar with pitching in this stadium as he played for the Rays for a couple of years. The Braves are also handling Morton well this season, he doesn't go too deep into too many games.

The Rays are struggling right now and host the best team in baseball, the Braves. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

It isn't that the Rays have fallen off a cliff or anything, but they obviously couldn't maintain that pace they set the first month of the season. They've really struggled on the road, and that could be their Achilles heel for the year. Tonight's game is a home one, so their road struggles are a bit irrelevant, but in comparing the two teams, the Rays have a clear weakness that the Braves don't seem to have. Tonight, the Rays get a pitcher that I've had a ton of confidence in over the years, Tyler Glasnow. He has only thrown 36 innings on the year, reaching six innings just once. In seven starts, he only has one truly poor one. He allowed six earned runs over 4.1 innings to the Orioles. He has been pretty successful in limited appearances against the Braves hitters. Unfortunately, he doesn't have that many starts this season, so it is hard to say how consistent he will be.

The Rays are struggling right now and have lost five straight games. The Braves, on the other hand, have won four of their past five games. I'm going to take the Braves, who have been good on the road, against the struggling Rays, even with them being very good at home this season. Back the Braves at +100.

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