Postseason contenders will meet on Saturday at Great American Ball Park. The Braves (39-19) are the toast of baseball, racking up the league’s best record through two months. It’s a different story for the Reds (29-27), fourth place in the loaded NL Central. Atlanta earned a commanding 8-3 win when these clubs met on Friday. Can Cincinnati even up this series at home tonight?

The Braves are favorites (-122) over the Reds, with the over/under set at 9.5 runs. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Saturday’s showdown between Atlanta and Cincinnati on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Braves vs. Reds prediction, preview

It’s been a near-perfect start for Atlanta this season. Despite several key injuries, the Braves remain firmly seated atop the NL East. On offense, the team is second in runs scored (307), third in home runs (78) and third in OPS (.759). Even with catcher Drake Baldwin (oblique) injured, there’s more than enough fire power in this lineup. Six different regulars have posted a wRC+ above 100 so far. Leading the charge has been Matt Olson (145 wRC+) and Michael Harris II (142 wRC+). Together, the duo have combined for 28 home runs and 80 RBIs this season.

This is a difficult matchup for most opposing pitchers. That’s especially true for Brady Singer, who has looked downright terrible for most of the season. Through 46.0 innings of work, the right-hander has notched a 6.26 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 34 strikeouts (6.7 K/9). Even more concerning, he’s on the hook for a sky-high 2.7 HR/9 ratio. That’s bad news against a Braves lineup stacked with left-handed bats. Per Savant, Great American Ball Park is baseball’s second-friendliest venue for homers over the past three seasons. It’s not as if the relievers are much better for Cincy either. The club has recorded a National League-worst 5.00 bullpen ERA.

To counter Cincinnati, it’ll be Martin Perez toeing the slab. Over 11 appearances (seven starts), the southpaw has posted a 2.70 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 40 strikeouts (7.7 K/9). However, he’s gotten somewhat fortunate this season. Perez’s Savant page hints at negative regression in the near future. The veteran doesn’t do anything poorly, but he doesn’t do anything exceptionally well on the mound either. He’s below the 50th percentile in xERA (4.01), chase rate (29.0%), whiff rate (21.3%) and hard-hit rate (40.6%), just to name a few. In addition, the 35-year-old is much better at home (0.82 ERA) than he is on the road (4.38 ERA).

Despite a sluggish start at the plate, the Reds have been rounding into form on offense. They’re averaging 4.56 runs per game at home, 11th-most in the majors. Cincinnati has scored 84 runs over its last 15 contests, third-best in baseball during that time. To boot, the squad owns the sport’s seventh-highest OPS against left-handed pitching (.750). Opposite side sluggers such as Elly De La Cruz (131 wRC+), Sal Stewart (131 wRC+) and Spencer Steer (111 wRC+) are all capable of doing damage tonight.

Braves vs. Reds pick, best bet

It’s easy to go with red-hot Atlanta against a decent but unspectacular opponent. That’s only exacerbated by the presence of Singer on the mound. With that being said, Perez is a league-average arm at best on the road. Cincinnati’s ability to tee off on opposing southpaws should give the Braves cause for concern as well. Right now, it’s difficult to imagine either lineup being held in check on Saturday.

Best Bet: Braves vs. Reds over 9.5 runs scored (-108)