The Atlanta Braves (35-25) travel to face off against the Washington Nationals (27-35) on Friday, June 7th. This game will be played at Nationals Park in Washington and televised on BSSE. The Braves are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Braves. First pitch is set for 5:45 CT.
Braves vs Nationals
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 season-high five walks. 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.
With a record of 35-25, the Braves are 7.5 games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. So far, they have gone 12-8 in divisional matchups. The Braves are on a three-game winning streak as the favorite, and they are 34-21 overall when favored this year.
At home, the Braves have gone 19-12 this year, and they are just above .500 at 16-13 on the road. Atlanta has an overall series record of 12-6-2 and are leading their current series vs. the Nationals. Looking at their overall form, the Braves are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
The Braves have been a solid bet this season, going 31-29 against the run line. They have been especially good on the road, where they are 17-12 against the run line. Their average run margin for the season is +0.6 runs per game.
The Braves are on the road against the Nationals today. The O/U line is set at 8 runs, which is slightly below their combined run average of 8.4. The Braves have hit the under in 21 of their 37 games this season, and their games have averaged 9 runs per game. Their games have had an O/U line of 8 runs six times this season, and the over has hit in four of those games. The Braves have hit the under in their last two games.
Chris Sale Gets The Start For The Braves
Left-hander Chris Sale gets the start for the Braves today as he faces the Nationals on the road. Sale has made 11 starts this year and has a record of 8-1 to go along with an ERA of 3.06. Looking at his overall numbers, Sale has a WHIP of .95 and opponents are batting .208 this year. In his 11 appearances, Sale has turned in six quality starts and is coming off a rough outing in which he gave up four earned runs in four innings of work. Before that, he had won three straight starts. So far, he has been much better at home, coming in with an ERA of 3.79 compared to 3.22 on the road.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna has been one of the best hitters in the league this season, as his 55 RBIs are the 2nd most in the league, and he is also 3rd in the MLB with 18 home runs. Ozuna is batting .312 for the season and has been even better of late, going 11/34 in his last nine games with three homers. Matt Olson is also a power threat in the lineup, as he has nine homers this season but is batting just .234.
Overall, the Braves are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. They have been a good home run hitting team this season and are among the league leaders in isolated power. As a team, the Braves are batting .246, which is the 9th best mark in the MLB right now.
Washington is looking to snap their four-game losing streak today, with all four losses coming as the underdog. The Nationals are 4th in the NL East, 16.5 games behind the Phillies for the division lead. So far, they are 8-10 in the division.
At home, the Nationals are 10-17 this year and 17-18 on the road. As the underdog, Washington is 24-32 this year compared to 3-3 as the favorite. The Nationals’ overall record is 27-35 heading into today’s matchup.
Washington has been a profitable run line team this season, going 36-26 overall. The Nationals have been particularly good against the run line on the road, going 23-12. However, they have struggled at home, going just 13-14. Washington has been an underdog in most games this season, going 33-23 against the run line. The Nationals have a losing streak against the run line at home, failing to cover in their last five games.
The Washington Nationals will be hosting the Atlanta Braves in a game with an over/under line of 8 runs. The Nationals’ games have averaged 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 27-32. When the line is set at 8 runs, their over/under record is 4-5-1. Overall, 59.7% of their games have had higher lines than 8 runs, while 24.2% have had lower lines.
Jake Irvin Gets The Start For The Nationals
Jake Irvin is getting the start for the Nationals today vs. the Braves and comes into the game with a record of 3-5 and ERA of 3.39. In his 12 starts, he has turned in seven quality starts and is averaging 7.83 strikeouts per nine innings. Looking back at his most recent outing, Irvin picked up the win vs. the Guardians, going six innings and giving up two earned runs. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight starts. Irvin has been much better on the road, coming in with a record of 3-1 and 2.83 ERA compared to 0-4 with a 5.1 ERA at home.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 24th in the MLB. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .230 and have one of the worst slugging percentages in the league. CJ Abrams has been a bright spot for the Nationals, as he is batting .246 this season and leads the team with 10 homers.
Joey Meneses has driven in the most runs for Washington this season, but he is batting just .231 for the year. Eddie Rosario is 2nd on the team with seven homers but is hitting just .181. Over his last six games, Jesse Winker is hitting .429 and is currently on a four-game hitting streak.
Braves vs Nationals Prediction
There is a lot of value in picking the Nationals on the money line at +171 to pick up the win at home. We actually have the Nationals winning this one 5-4, and with the payout at +171, this is the route we recommend taking.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Chris Sale is projected to have a good outing, with his eight strikeouts being the highest among all starters today. As for Jake Irvin, he’s actually predicted to finish with just four K’s, and his chances of picking up a win are right in the middle of the pack.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 7, 2024 Braves, Nationals