Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals Preview
At 7:20 PM ET, the Nationals and Braves face off in an NL East matchup. This one is being played at Truist Park in Atlanta, and the Braves are the heavy favorites on the money line, with their odds sitting at -160. The Nationals are +135 on the money line, and the over/under line is currently 8.5 runs.
Wednesday’s forecast in Atlanta calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-80s. MacKenzie Gore is starting for the Nationals, and he is facing off against Spencer Schwellenbach. The Nationals are 3rd in the NL East with a record of 24-29, while the Braves are 2nd at 31-21.
Check out BetCoco for Atlanta Braves – Washington Nationals odds
Atlanta Braves Trends and Key Stats
- The Nationals are 1-4 in their five most recent road games, including a 2-3 runline record.
- In the Braves’ five most recent home games, their record stands at 3-2 (SU) with 3-2 against the spread.
- In their last ten games as the favorite, the Braves have a record of 5-5 straight-up, and have gone 5-5 against the runline.
- Looking back at their last ten games as the underdog, the Nationals have a 4-6 straight-up record and a 6-4 record vs. the runline.
The most recent game o of this Braves vs Nationals series came right down to the end, as the Nationals rallied late but still fell short with the Braves winning 2-0 at home. Heading into the game, the Braves were favored at -259 on the money line.
Max Fried pitched well for the Braves in this one, going eight innings and striking out six without giving up a run. He picked up a win in the game, while Raisel Iglesias closed things out. Jacob Barnes took the loss for the Nationals out of the bullpen.
Offensively, the Braves were led by Marcell Ozuna, who homered and went 1/4. Joey Meneses also had a three-hit game for the Nationals. Washington actually outhit the Braves in the game 7 to 5.
Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals Prediction
Washington is 24-29 overall and 12.5 games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. So far, they are 6-6 in divisional games. The Nationals are on the road today, and they are 14-16 on the road compared to 10-13 at home.
As the underdog, the Nationals are 21-27 this year and 3-2 when favored. They have an overall series record of 6-10-1 this year and are 4-6 in their last 10 games overall.
The Nationals have been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 32-21 overall. They have been even better on the road, going 19-11 against the run line. Washington has been a favorite in just five games, going 3-2 against the run line, while they have been an underdog in 48 games, going 29-19 against the run line.
The Washington Nationals are on the road against the Atlanta Braves today, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. The Nationals’ games have averaged 8.3 runs per game this season, and their overall over/under record is 23-28. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 8-10. So far this season, 14 of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs, accounting for 26.4% of their games.
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Braves on the road. So far this season, he has made 10 starts and has a record of 3-4 with a 3.04 ERA. Gore’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.29. In his 10 appearances, he has turned in four quality starts. Looking back at his most recent outing, Gore picked up the win vs. the Mariners, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight outings.
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league so far, as they are averaging just 4 runs per game, which is 23rd in the MLB. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs, team batting average, and OPS. However, the Nationals do have a few hitters who have been swinging the bat well of late. CJ Abrams, who is batting .266 for the season, has gone 8/32 in his last eight games, with two homers during that stretch.
Luis Garcia Jr. and CJ Abrams are tied for the team lead in RBIs, with 26, and have also been two of the team’s most consistent hitters, as Garcia is batting .264 for the season. Eddie Rosario has gone deep seven times this season but is hitting just .173 for the year.
Atlanta is 31-21 overall and 2nd in the NL East, five games behind the Phillies for the division lead. The Braves are 11-6 against other teams in the NL East. So far, they are 17-9 at home compared to 14-12 on the road.
The Braves have been good as the favorite this year, going 30-18, but they are just 1-3 as the underdog. Atlanta has an overall series record of 11-5-1 heading into today’s game three vs. the Nationals. The Braves are 5-5 over their last 10 games and are currently tied with the Nationals in this series.
Atlanta has been a solid bet on the run line this season, as they are 27-25 overall. They are 12-14 vs. the run line at home, but have been better on the road at 15-11. They have been a favorite in most games this season, going 24-24 vs. the run line in those games. Their average run margin in winning games is 3.7, while it is -3.4 in losing games.
When the Braves play at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, and their games have averaged 8.3 runs per game this season. Overall, Atlanta’s over/under record is 18-32, with their games having an average line of 9 runs. When the line is set at 8.5 runs, their over/under record is 4-10. So far this season, 46.2% of their games have had higher lines than 8.5 runs, while 26.9% have had lower lines.
For today’s game against the Nationals, the Braves will rely on Spencer Schwellenbach to set the tone. It’s his debut for the season and he’s looking to put together a strong start in his debut.
Marcell Ozuna has been a key run producer for the Braves this season, as his 48 RBIs are 2nd in the league, and he is also 3rd in the league with 16 home runs. Ozuna is batting .309 for the season and has gone 8/32 with three homers over his last nine games. Matt Olson is 2nd on the team in RBIs and has eight homers, but he is batting just .232 for the season.
As a team, the Braves are 8th in the league in scoring at 4.6 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .251 (6th) and have the league’s 6th best slugging percentage. Atlanta also has a few players on hitting streaks, with Travis d’Arnaud, Adam Duvall, Ozzie Albies, and Ronald Acuña Jr. all having hit safely in four straight games.
Our prediction for this Nationals vs. Braves matchup is to take the Braves on the money line at -160. We have the Braves winning this one by a score of 6-4. If you’re looking for a parlay option, you could also look to take the over, as we have the total runs at 10.
Looking at some potential player props, we have MacKenzie Gore finishing with six strikeouts. However, we have the Braves’ starter finishing with 12 K’s, and you could look to take the over on his strikeout line.
Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals Betting Tips
- Take the Braves on the moneyline
- The Braves should also cover at -1.5
- Projecting a combined 10 runs, we like the over
Atlanta Braves Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Matzek | Out | Elbow |
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | Out | Knee |
| Angel Perdomo | Out | Elbow |
| Spencer Strider | Out | Elbow |
| AJ Smith-Shawver | Out | Oblique |
Washington Nationals Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Mason Thompson | Out | Elbow |
| Josiah Gray | Out | Elbow/Forearm |
| Cade Cavalli | Out | Elbow |
| Jose A. Ferrer | Out | Teres Major |
