Braves vs. Phillies Game 3 predictions: Expert picks with trip to NLDS vs. Dodgers on the line

The first two games of the best-of-three series have been hotly contested

Oct 1, 2026 at 12:27 pm ET • 2 min read

The Phillies and the host Braves will play the deciding Game 3 of their Wild Card Series on Thursday night at Truist Park. Start time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET. Veteran right-hander Aaron Nola will start for the Phillies, while lefty Raymond Kerr will take the mound for Atlanta as the opener, perhaps of the multi-inning variety.

The first two games of the best-of-three series have been taut and hotly contested. The series opener turned on a late home run by Austin Riley, while the Phillies rebounded in Game 2 on Wednesday with a trio of clutch homers in the late innings.

All of that sets the scene for the high-stakes Game 3 with a trip to the NLDS to face the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers. To set the scene, our CBS Sports MLB experts have made their predictions for how Game 3 will play out and which team will advance.

Braves vs. Phillies Game 3 info

• Date: Thursday, Oct. 1 | Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Truist Park -- Atlanta, Georgia
• TV: NBC/fubo
• Odds (via FanDuel): Braves -192 | O/U: 7.5

Braves vs. Phillies Game 3 predictions

	Mike Axisa	Kate Feldman	Dayn Perry	Matt Snyder
Braves vs. Phillies Game 3	Phillies	Braves	Braves	Braves

Axisa: Phillies 5, Braves 2. Neither team is in great shape pitching-wise for Game 3, but I feel better about what the Phillies have lined up. There's no real path to nine innings without Aaron Nola, so starting him and then adjusting afterward is the correct move. Zack Wheeler will come into play at some point. He wouldn't be on the roster if he wasn't going to be available in a win-or-go-home Game 3. The Braves got one big swing from Austin Riley in Game 1, but their offense otherwise has kind of been stuck in the mud. They needed the Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper misplays to score their second and third runs in Game 2. I think the Phillies complete the comeback and join last year's Yankees as the only teams to win the Wild Card Series after losing Game 1. 

Feldman: Braves 8, Phillies 4. The Phillies aren't as bad as they played in the last week, but momentum does matter in sports, no matter what anyone says. They clearly haven't been right. Plus, I have a hard time relying on Aaron Nola to save their season. They had a miracle win in Game 2. They won't do it again. 

Perry: Braves 7, Phillies 5. I don't have a great deal of faith in Nola right now. I know his ERA was quite good in the second half, but at an underlying level, he was worse than he was in the first half. Neither pitching staff is set up well for this game, and I think early runs will be in abundance. There's no real rhyme or reason when it comes to predicting the outcome of a single game between two good teams, but I'll lean toward the Braves because they're at home and have the better offense and team defense. 

Snyder: Braves 5, Phillies 4. The Phillies' pitching staff is on fumes right now, though the Braves aren't exactly in great shape in setting up their starter for this one, either. I'll just go with the better team that is playing at home. I believe they'll have one big inning and that will be enough to do it. Nothing would really surprise me here, though, as neither team is overly reliable either offensively or with their pitching. The Phillies' poor defense certainly concerns me and that was another factor.