The Atlanta Braves have done well so far this season when you consider that they traded away the bulk of their start power in the off-season. They've started to cool off though, losing four of their last five. They host the Padres tonight, and San Diego has won four of five. I'll take the hotter team as the underdog here in Game 1 in Atlanta.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Braves hand the ball to Shelby Miller, who comes off back-to-back losses. Miller (5-2, 1.89 ERA) surrendered four runs on six hits and six walks over just 4.1 innings in a loss at Arizona in his last outing. He's 1-1 with a 4.79 ERA in his last three starts versus San Diego. The Padres will counter with Ian Kennedy, who is coming off a win in his last start.

2. Padres Bats - San Diego has been the lowest scoring team in baseball for years, but not this year. The Padres rank 5th overall with 254 runs scored.

3. X-Factor - The Braves bullpen owns an ERA of 4.86, only the Oakland A's relievers rank worse.

Selection: This is a play on the San Diego Padres +1.5 (8*)