Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals Preview
Thursday’s matchup between the Nationals and Braves is set to get started at 7:20 PM ET from Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. The Braves are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -226, while the Nationals are +185 underdogs. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs.
Ray Kerr is starting for the Braves, while the Nationals have Trevor Williams on the mound. Washington is currently 3rd in the NL East, with a record of 25-29, while the Braves are 31-22 and 2nd in the division. MASN has TV coverage for Thursday’s game.
Check out BetCoco for Atlanta Braves – Washington Nationals odds
Atlanta Braves Trends and Key Stats
- The Nationals are 2-3 in their five most recent road games, including a 3-2 runline record.
- On the other side, the Braves have gone 3-2 (SU) and 3-2 in their previous five home contests.
- As the favorite, the Braves are 5-5 over their last ten games, including going 5-5 vs. the runline.
- When playing as the underdog, the Nationals have won 5-5 of their previous ten games straight-up, while going 6-4 against the runline.
Washington cruised to a 7-2 win over the Braves in the most recent game of this series. The Nationals had a huge 5th inning, scoring three of their seven runs. As for the Braves, they scored their only two runs in the 3rd. Heading into the game, the Nationals were the slight underdogs at +128.
MacKenzie Gore got the win for the Nationals, going just 5 1/3 innings but giving up just one run. Spencer Schwellenbach had a rough outing for the Braves, taking the loss after going five innings and giving up three earned runs.
At the plate, the Nationals were led by Lane Thomas, who went 3/4 with a home run. He scored three times and drove in two runs. Joey Gallo and Jacob Young each had two hits and two RBIs for Washington’s offense.
Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals Prediction
Washington is 25-29 overall and 3rd in the NL East, trailing the Phillies by 12.5 games. So far, they have gone 7-6 in divisional matchups. The Nationals have taken the first two games of this series vs. the Braves but lost the most recent game.
At home, the Nationals are 10-13 this year, and they have gone 15-16 on the road. As the underdog, Washington is 22-27 this year, compared to 3-2 as the favorite. Their overall series record is 6-10-1, and they are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
The Nationals have a run line record of 33-21 this season, covering the spread in 20 of their 31 road games. They have a run line record of 30-19 as the underdog, but are just 3-2 against the run line as the favorite.
Washington is on the road today against the Braves, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. The Nationals and their opponents have averaged a combined 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 24-28. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 9-10. So far this season, 25.9% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs.
Trevor Williams gets the start for the Nationals today and comes in with a record of 4-0 and ERA of 2.29. He has made 10 starts this year and has one quality start. Williams has a WHIP of 1.08 and batting average allowed of .224. The right-hander has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings. Most recently, he faced the Mariners and gave up one earned run in five innings of work. Williams has allowed at least one homer in three of his last four outings.
Washington’s offense comes into the game averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. They have been even worse in terms of power, as their 47 home runs is also 17th in the league. As a team, they are batting just .232, which is 18th in the MLB. One thing they have done well is avoid strikeouts, as they have the 10th fewest strikeouts in the league.
CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. have been the Nationals’ top hitters this season, with Abrams leading the team with 26 RBIs and Garcia Jr. batting .262. Abrams has also gone deep nine times, which is 10th in the league. However, he has struggled at the plate of late, going just 7/32 in his last eight games. Eddie Rosario is 2nd on the team with seven homers but is batting just .181 for the season.
With a record of 31-22, the Braves trail the Phillies by six games in the NL East. Currently, they are 11-7 against other teams in the NL East. The Braves will take on the Nationals today, and they are 17-10 at home this year.
So far, the Braves have gone 30-19 as the favorite, compared to 1-3 as the underdog. As for their overall series record, the Braves are 11-5-1 this year. Heading into today’s game, the Braves have dropped two of the first three games of this series vs. the Nationals.
When the Braves win, they tend to win big, with an average run margin of 3.7 runs per game. That’s helped them to a 27-26 record against the run line this season. They’ve been a better bet on the run line on the road, where they are 15-11 compared to 12-15 at home. As the favorite, they are 24-25 against the run line, while they are 3-1 as the underdog.
When the Atlanta Braves are at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. The Braves and their opponents have combined to average 8.3 runs per game this season. Overall, the over/under record for Atlanta games this season is 19-32. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, the record is 5-10. This season, 45.3% of Atlanta’s games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher.
Ray Kerr will be making his first start of the season for the Braves, as he has been used out of the bullpen in his first three appearances. Kerr has a win and two no-decisions, but his last outing was a loss to the Pirates, where he went 4 innings and gave up 5 earned runs.
Marcell Ozuna comes into the game as one of the league’s top power hitters, as his 16 home runs are 3rd in the league and leads the Braves. Ozuna is also 2nd in the MLB in RBIs, with 49. However, he is looking to get back on track, as he has gone just 7/33 in his last nine games. Matt Olson has also gone deep eight times this season, but he is batting just .237 for the season.
As a team, the Braves are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 8th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. Overall, they are 7th in team batting average and have the league’s 5th best slugging percentage. Currently, both Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson are on five-game hitting streaks.
Our prediction for this Nationals vs. Braves matchup is to take the over, with the line sitting at 8.5 runs. We actually have the Braves winning this one 5-4, so there is some room for you to take the money line, but at -226, we think there is more value in the over.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Trevor Williams has the worst chance of picking up a win among today’s starters, and we have him going just five innings. As for Ray Kerr, we have him also going five innings and finishing with five strikeouts.
Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals Betting Tips
- Take the Braves on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Nationals (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 9 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Senzel | Questionable | Knee |
| Mason Thompson | Out | Elbow |
| Josiah Gray | Out | Elbow/Forearm |
| Cade Cavalli | Out | Elbow |
| Jose A. Ferrer | Out | Teres Major |
