The Atlanta Braves (34-25) travel to face off against the Washington Nationals (27-34) on Thursday, June 6th. This game will be played at Nationals Park in Washington and televised on BSSE. Both the Braves and Nationals are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 5:45 CT.
Braves vs Nationals
The Braves will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Red Sox with a 9-0 loss. Atlanta was actually the slight favorite on the money line going into the game but fell behind big early, as the Red Sox scored three times in the 2nd.
Offensively, the Braves only had one fewer hit than the Red Sox but didn’t score a run. Their lone bright spot was a double by Spencer Schwellenbach in the 2nd inning. He also took the loss, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up six earned runs.
Atlanta is 34-25 overall and trails the Phillies by eight games for the NL East lead. The Braves are 11-8 against other teams in the NL East. They are on the road today to take on the Nationals, and the Braves’ overall series record is 12-6-2 this year.
At home, the Braves have gone 19-12 this year, and they are just above .500 at 15-13 on the road. As the favorite, the Braves have gone 33-21 this year, and they are 14-9 as the favorite on the road. Atlanta won two straight as the favorite to close out their series with the Red Sox.
When the Braves win, they do so by an average of 3.7 runs per game, and when they lose, they do so by an average of -3.6 runs per game. They are 30-29 against the run line this season, including a 16-12 mark on the road. As the favorite, they are 27-27 against the run line, while as the underdog, they are 3-2.
Atlanta’s over/under record is 21-36, and the average line for their games is 9 runs. When the line is set at 8.5 runs, the Braves are 5-12. The combined run average in their games is 8.4 runs, and 44.1% of their games have had higher lines than 8.5 runs.
Reynaldo López Gets The Start For The Braves
Right-hander Reynaldo López gets the start for the Braves today as he faces the Nationals on the road. He has made 10 starts this season and has a record of 3-2 with an ERA of 1.73. So far, López has turned in six quality starts and is coming off a game in which he allowed just one earned run in six innings of work. In that outing, he gave up two homers. López has allowed at least one homer in each of his last three starts. Per nine innings, he has 8.63 strikeouts and 3.14 walks.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna has been one of the league’s top power threats this season, as his 17 homers are 3rd in the league and leads the Braves. He is also 3rd in the MLB with 53 RBIs. Ozuna has also been hot of late, batting .294 over his last nine games. Matt Olson is 2nd on the team with nine homers but is batting just .234 for the season.
As a team, the Braves are 8th in batting average and 8th in slugging percentage. Overall, they are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. The Braves have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.8 runs per contest.
Washington closed out their series vs. the Mets with a 9-1 loss. Heading into the game, the Nationals were the +121 underdog at home. Things started off well for the Nationals, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Mets scored three times in the top of the 3rd.
Patrick Corbin got the start for the Nationals and took the loss. He only lasted 5 1/3 innings, giving up six earned runs on seven hits. Jesse Winker was hot at the plate, going 2/3 with a run scored. The Nationals’s offense only scored one run, and it came in the bottom of the 1st.
Washington is 27-34 overall and trails the Phillies by 16 games in the NL East. The Nationals host the Braves today, having lost three straight games, and they are 8-9 in divisional matchups this year.
At home, the Nationals are 10-16 compared to 17-18 on the road. As the underdog, Washington is 24-31 this year and 3-3 as the favorite. They have dropped two straight games as the underdog and lost the final three games of their series vs. the Mets.
Washington has been a solid run line team this season at 36-25, but they are just 13-13 against the run line at home. The Nationals have been a better bet on the road, going 23-12 against the run line. They have failed to cover the run line in four straight games at home and are just 3-3 against the run line as the favorite this season.
When the Nationals 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, Washington’s games have gone over the total 27 times and under 31 times. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their games have gone over the total 9 times and under 10 times. In total, 42.1% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs.
Mitchell Parker Gets The Start For The Nationals
Washington is sending left-hander Mitchell Parker to the mound today vs. the Braves. He has made nine starts this season and has a record of 4-3 with a 3.60 ERA. Parker’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.14. In his last outing, he took the loss, going 5 2/3 innings vs. the Guardians and giving up three earned runs. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Parker has made three home starts and is 2-0 with a 2.56 ERA at home compared to 2-3 with a 4.22 ERA on the road.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league so far, averaging just 4 runs per game (24th) and have the 19th most home runs in the league. As a team, they are batting just .231, which is 18th in the league. The Nationals have been a little better at home, averaging 4.1 runs per game.
Joey Meneses has been a bright spot for the Nationals so far, leading the team with 30 RBIs and is also 7th in the league with 9 home runs. CJ Abrams is hitting .246 and is 3rd on the team with 26 RBIs. Eddie Rosario has 7 homers but is batting just .181. Jesse Winker and Joey Gallo are both on hitting streaks and have been swinging the bat well of late.
Braves vs Nationals Prediction
With the Nationals currently sitting at +149 on the money line, that is the route we recommend going for this game. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Nationals, giving you a little wiggle room to take them on the money line or take the over, as the line is sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Mitchell Parker lasting longer in this one than Reynaldo López, and Parker is projected to finish with four strikeouts compared to López, who we have finishing with five.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 6, 2024 Braves, Nationals