Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves Preview
From Nationals Park in Washington, DC, the Braves and Nationals face off in an NL East matchup. First pitch for this one is set for 6:45 PM ET. BSSE is carrying this game on TV.
Friday’s matchup has the Braves as the heavy favorite, with their money line odds sitting at -203. The Nationals have a losing streak of four games and are +171 on the money line. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and Jake Irvin is starting for the Nationals, while the Braves are going with Chris Sale. Atlanta is 35-25 this season, while the Nationals are 27-35.
Check out BetCoco for Washington Nationals – Atlanta Braves odds
Washington Nationals Trends and Key Stats
- The Braves are 3-2 in their five most recent road games, including a 3-2 runline record.
- On the other side, the Nationals have gone 3-2 (SU) and 4-1 in their previous five home contests.
- The Braves have a 5-5 straight-up record in their last ten games as the favorite, and 5-5 against the runline.
- When playing as the underdog, the Nationals have gone 3-7 against the runline, with a straight-up record of 7-3 over their last ten games.
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 5-2 on the road. Heading into the game, the Braves were favored at -160 on the money line.
Reynaldo Lopez pitched well for the Braves in this one, going six innings and giving up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished the game with seven strikeouts but issued a costly home run. Aaron Bummer came out of the bullpen for the win, and Raisel Iglesias got the save.
Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall each homered for the Braves, while Lane Thomas went deep for the Nationals. Ozuna, Duvall, and CJ Abrams each had two RBIs for Atlanta’s offense.
Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves Prediction
With a record of 35-25, the Braves are 7.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. This season, they have gone 12-8 in divisional games. The Braves are on a three-game winning streak as the favorite, and they are 34-21 when favored this year.
At home, the Braves have been good, going 19-12 this season. On the road, they are 16-13 this year. The Braves are 12-6-2 in series this year, and they are 1-4 as the underdog this year. Atlanta has gone 5-5 across their last 10 games and won the first game of this series vs. the Nationals.
When the Braves have won this season, they have done so by an average of 3.7 runs per game, while their losses have come by an average of -3.6 runs. As a result, they have a run line record of 31-29, with a run line record of 17-12 on the road. They have covered the run line in three straight games and are 3-2 as underdogs.
The Braves are on the road against the Nationals today, and the over/under line is set at 8 runs. Atlanta’s games have averaged 8.4 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 21-37. When the line has been set at 8 runs, their record is 4-2. Overall, 73.3% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 8 runs, and they are currently on a two-game under streak.
Chris Sale gets the start for the Braves today as he faces the Nationals on the road. He has made 11 starts this season and has a record of 8-1 with a 3.06 ERA. Sale’s WHIP for the season is currently 0.95. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up eight hits, four earned runs, and one homer in four innings of work. Before that, Sale had picked up the win in three straight starts. Opponents are batting .208 off Sale this season, and he has six quality starts. Sale’s ERA at home is 3.79, compared to 3.22 on the road.
Marcell Ozuna has been the Braves’ top hitter this season, batting .312 with 18 home runs and 55 RBIs. He has also been hot of late, going 11/34 in his last nine games with three homers and eight RBIs. Matt Olson is 2nd on the team in RBIs, but his batting average of .234 is just 6th best on the team.
Overall, the Braves are 10th in runs per game, averaging 4.5 runs per contest. They have been a slightly better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.8 runs per game. As a team, they are 8th in slugging percentage and have the 6th best isolated power mark in the league.
With a record of 27-35, the Nationals are 4th in the NL East, and they trail the Phillies by 16.5 games for the division lead. The Nationals have dropped four straight games, and they lost the first game of this series vs. the Braves. So far, they are 8-10 in divisional games.
Washington has struggled at home this year, going 10-17 compared to 17-18 on the road. As the underdog, the Nationals are 24-32 this year, and they are just 3-3 as the favorite. Looking at their overall series record, the Nationals are 7-12-1 and have lost two straight series.
Washington is 36-26 against the run line this season, including a 23-12 mark on the road. The Nationals have been favored in eight games and are 3-3 against the run line in those contests. They are 33-23 against the run line as the underdog. Washington’s average run differential in wins is +3.4, while it is -3.5 in losses.
The Washington Nationals are hosting the Atlanta Braves today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 8 runs. The Nationals have a combined run average of 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 27-32. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, their record is 4-5-1. So far this season, 59.7% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 8 runs.
Jake Irvin is coming off a strong outing vs. the Guardians, where he picked up the win. In that start, he went six innings and gave up just two earned runs. Looking back at his last four starts, he has given up two earned runs in three of them. Irvin has made 12 starts this year and has a record of 3-5 with a 3.39 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .223 off the right-hander this season. Out of his 12 starts, Irvin has turned in seven quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.83 strikeouts and just 1.57 walks.
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, as they are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 24th in the MLB. They have been even worse in terms of power, as their team ISO of .122 is 23rd in the league. Overall, they are batting .230, which is 19th in the league. The Nationals do have a few hitters who have been swinging the bat well of late, as CJ Abrams has gone just 2/11 in his last three games but does have a team-high 10 homers. Joey Meneses has also been struggling, with a batting average of just .231.
Joey Meneses has been the Nationals’ top run producer this season, as his 30 RBIs are the best on the team. Eddie Rosario has also been a solid run producer, but he is hitting just .181 for the season. Rosario’s seven homers are the 2nd most on the team.
Our predicted score for this one is 5-4 in favor of the Nationals, and with them being the underdogs at +171, that is the bet that we recommend. At +171, there is a lot of value in picking the Nationals to win this one straight up.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we actually have Chris Sale finishing with more strikeouts than Jake Irvin, but we still have Irvin finishing with four K’s, which is right in the middle of the league for today’s starters.
Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves Betting Tips
- We like the Nationals on the moneyline (+171)
- The Nationals are also our pick on the run line at +1.5
- Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over
Washington Nationals Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor Williams | Out | Hip Flexor |
| Mason Thompson | Out | Elbow |
| Josiah Gray | Out | Elbow/Forearm |
| Cade Cavalli | Out | Elbow |
| Jose A. Ferrer | Out | Teres Major |
Atlanta Braves Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Matzek | Out | Elbow |
| A.J. Minter | Out | Hip |
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | Out | Knee |
| Angel Perdomo | Out | Elbow |
| Jarred Kelenic | Questionable | Wrist |
| Spencer Strider | Out | Elbow |
| AJ Smith-Shawver | Out | Oblique |
