Thursday’s MLB slate is equipped with only one Game 3, but the matchup is among one of the best baseball fans could have asked for.

Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies are looking to reverse-sweep the Atlanta Braves tonight. Philadelphia’s bullpen looked awful in Game 1, and Nola may be called upon to stay in for as long as he possibly can. That remains to be seen against an Atlanta side that scored the eighth most runs this season.

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The Sporting News has everything you need to know before wagering on Thursday MLB Playoff action from Truist Park in Atlanta, including odds, best bets and player props.

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Expert picks for MLB Playoffs on Thursday 

Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies (8 p.m. ET)

All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. If you’re a new user for DraftKings, be sure to take advantage of their new user welcome bonus.

Best bet

This game has a lot of question marks as of Thursday morning, including what each team will do regarding their starting pitcher. Philadelphia, with how bad their bullpen is, likely won’t opt for a game featuring much of that unit, and they officially gave Aaron Nola the starting nod in this pivotal matchup. He does hold an advantage over Grant Holmes, or whoever the Braves march onto the diamond to begin their evening.

The pair of Nola’s starts in September against Atlanta were relatively good outings that featured no more than two earned runs, but Philadelphia lost both of those games due to their meager bullpen. The Phillies have an edge whenever they have a starter on the mound; the later portion of the contest is when they become vulnerable. Take the away side to lead after the first five innings; what happens after that doesn’t pertain to this bet.

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Best MLB Playoffs player props for Thursday

Philadelphia’s bullpen, outside of the stellar three innings they got from Andrew Painter yesterday, has been a massive liability. That was best captured in Game 1, when a great Jesus Luzardo start was squandered by his relievers who gave up four runs. Nola, of course, poses his own risks as a starter, but Philadelphia needs him to stay in this game as long as possible. They could also opt to bring in Zach Wheeler for ample relief if need be, but that will only come as a last resort if things go awry.

The news of Nola getting the Game 3 start probably made Ronald Acuna quite happy. According to StatMuse, the Braves’ star has a .339 average against him (20-for-59) with four home runs and 10 RBIs. For statistics fans, he also boasts a whopping 1.073 OPS (on-base plus slugging), which is a telltale sign that he could jump all over Philly’s starter. In a must-win game for Atlanta, their star needs to show up, and he’s more than capable of doing that against a pitcher he’s stood in the box for frequently.