Atlanta Braves Playoff Odds Spike Following Win, Mets and Diamondbacks Losses

The Atlanta Braves close in on a playoff berth with a win over the Kansas City Royals and timely losses by other Wild Card contenders.

The Atlanta Braves close in on an unlikely playoff berth following a win and some timely losses across the National League. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves took the first game of their series against the Kansas City Royals 3-0. They have now won their fourth consecutive game and improved to 87-71 on the season. 

Meanwhile, the New York Mets fell to the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4 and the Arizona Diamondbacks lost to the San Diego Padres 5-3. 

All three teams are now tied in the wild card standings. Because of winning percentage, the Braves and Mets are above the playoff line and the Diamondbacks the first team out. Maximum chaos reigns supreme in the final days of the regular season. 

Amidst the chaos, the Braves playoff hopes have continued to climb. Heading into the day, they had a 64.4% chance to make the playoffs according to FanGraphs. Now, it’s 90.8%. 

It’s not a guarantee, but they are in full control off their destiny. They already have the tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks and all they have to do is split the doubleheader with the Mets to seal another tiebreaker. 

All they need to do is keep winning, and they will play October baseball. Their opponent, the Royals, clinched a playoff berth in the American League despite the loss. They won't be playing at 100% the next couple days since they have postseason games coming up. That can help the Braves quite a bit.

The playoff race is so tight, that the oddsmakers, such as FanDuel, removed the ability to bet who gets in. Previously, it had been documented that the oddsmakers favored the Braves to make the playoffs. 

As the playoff odds continue to increase, remember this. The Braves are where they are while overcoming every injury imaginable. No Ronald Acuna Jr. or Austin Riley or Spencer Strider. 

Max Fried, Michael Harris II, Sean Murphy and Reynaldo Lopez have all missed significant playing time. These injuries typically knock a team out. Yet, here they are. 

The Braves continue their final push on Saturday with game two of their series with the Royals. They eye a series win. Reynaldo Lopez will take the mound in his return from the Injured List. First pitch is set for 7:20 p.m. 

Meanwhile, the Mets continue their series with the Brewers. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. EDT. The Diamondbacks continue their series with the Padres. Frist pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. EDT.