Astros vs. Braves prediction: Bet on Max Fried and Atlanta

Sunday, the Astros play at Atlanta to cap off a three-game series in what should be a heck of a pitching matchup.

Houston will give the ball to Cristian Javier (2-0, 3.68 ERA), while the Braves will counter with Max Fried (1-0, 1.08 ERA).

Javier has pitched two gems this season in wins over the Tigers and Blue Jays — he allowed just one run in each of those outings. The right-hander has been strong in three of four starts this season, but his one poor performance came on the road against Pittsburgh.

In that game, Javier allowed five hits and four runs over six innings in a 7-4 Pirates win.

Fried has pitched just 8 ¹/₃ innings, but the left-hander has looked impressive, allowing a total of eight hits and one run.

Houston has been better against right-handed pitching this year, averaging 5.50 runs per nine innings, compared to just 4.07 versus lefties heading into Saturday.

Javier will need to pitch better in his second road start or it will be a long afternoon facing one of the top lineups in MLB. The Braves rank top-10 in average, runs, on-base percentage and home runs.

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Heading into Saturday, the Astros are just 5-11 their past 16 games in Atlanta. Look for that trend to continue.

If Javier’s control is an issue early in the game, the vaunted Braves lineup should give Fried a lead that he can then hand off to one of the league’s most dominant bullpens.