MLB Baseball
2026-08-17 - Atlanta Braves at Minnesota Twins
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : Major League Baseball
Monday 17th August 2026 - Scheduled 7:40pm EST
12:40pm (British Time)
Preview
There is clearly still enough time for the Minnesota Twins (60-65) to correct the slide and get themselves back into a position to be playing post-season Baseball, but they do need to get out of the recent slide. After being swept by the Philadelphia Phillies, the Twins have lost six of the last eight games played and they are now 6 games behind in the American League Central and 1.5 games out of the Wild Card places.
Things do not get easier as they begin a three game series against the National League East leading Atlanta Braves (74-50) who have only won fewer games than the Milwaukee Brewers. Finishing in the top two places in the National League is the ambition for the Braves as that would offer a direct place in the Divisional Series of the post-season and they remain in contention to do that.
Atlanta will give the ball to veteran Martin Perez who has had a strong couple of years, but who was perhaps expecting to be a part of the bullpen rather than the starting rotation when signing with the Braves.
Martin Perez has an 8-6 record and 2.96 ERA in twenty-three appearances in 2026, but nineteen of those have come in starts. He has 'only' made twenty-six starts between 2024 and 2025, but he is not getting ready to make a fifteenth start in a row in 2026.
He has a 6-4 record and 3.33 ERA in the last fourteen starts, but that ERA drops to 1.08 when only considering the last five starts made. In August, Martin Perez has yet to give up an earned run in three starts that have covered 16 Innings and the Atlanta Braves have backed him up at the plate to help the pitcher put a 2-0 record on the board.
Last year Martin Perez was pitching in the American League Central for the Chicago White Sox and he held the Minnesota Twins scoreless in 6 Innings thrown as he prepares to face them for the first time in 2026.
The Twins will have Bailey Ober going to the mound with his 7-4 record and 4.64 ERA from eighteen starts made.
The numbers since the start of the 2025 season have been a touch disappointing as far as Minnesota fans will be concerned and Bailey Ober has just been struggling for form in recent outings. The last four starts have ended with a 0-1 record and 5.73 ERA and Bailey Ober has allowed eight runs in 12 Innings thrown this month.
Two years ago, Bailey Ober pitched against the Atlanta Braves and was rocked for nine runs in just 2 Innings thrown.
Prediction
They do have a healthy lead in the National League East, but the Atlanta Braves will need to find a bit more consistency if they are going to finish with a top two Seed in the League.
On Monday they begin a series with the slumping Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves can pick up where rivals Philadelphia Phillies left off.
Martin Perez can offer them a good start on his current form, while Bailey Ober has been struggling for the Twins and that may give the Atlanta Braves the platform from which to pick up the win.
The Pick :
Minnesota Twins 3-6 Atlanta Braves
