Atlanta Braves’ Acuna Jr. and Los Angeles Dodgers’ Betts NL MVP Odds Heat Up

Not only were two great teams going at it on Thursday night, but so were two great players battling for the NL MVP. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Mookie Betts went at like nobody’s business when the Atlanta Braves played the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

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Braves’ Acuna Jr. and Dodgers’ Betts Put on a Show

There is a lot riding on this weekend’s four-game set between the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers on the West Coast. The Georgia-based outfit is currently the number one team in the National League at 88-45. L.A. (83-50) can chip away at that lead if they rebound from the 8-7 defeat in the opener of the four-game set.

Beyond that is the involvement of NL MVP candidates Ronald Acuna Jr. (Braves) and Mookie Betts (Dodgers).

As per the MLB Futures, right now, Acuna Jr. is in the lead at -139, followed closely by Betts at -105. Depending on how each performs during the three remaining games, those figures could change. With only a month left in the regular season, this weekend carries a lot of weight in the MVP debate.

In Thursday’s Atlanta Braves victory, Acuna Jr. crushed a grand slam in the second inning to provide his side with a 5-1 lead. The best part? He got married earlier that day! The right fielder is currently hitting .337 with 87 RBIs and 30 HRs. The grand slam that put him on the 30-home-run plateau also makes him the only player in MLB history with at least 30 dingers and 60 stolen bases in a campaign.

The Dodgers mounted a valiant comeback but fell short. It was certainly not for a lack of effort by Los Angeles’ right fielder. He sent two balls soaring into the stands for a total of four RBIs. For the season Betts has earned a .317 average at the plate, 98 RBIs, and 38 home runs.

The fact that after Thursday’s fireworks, fans get three more contests between Friday and Sunday is a dream.

On Friday the Atlanta Braves send Max Fried to the mound (5-1, 2.85 ERA), whereas the Dodgers hand the ball over to Julio Urias (11-7, 4.41 ERA).