The Washington Nationals (25-29) travel to face off against the Atlanta Braves (31-22) on Thursday, May 30th. This game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta and televised on MASN. The Nationals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Braves are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nationals. First pitch is set for 6:20 CT.
Nationals vs Braves
Atlanta wasted a good outing from Spencer Schwellenbach, as he went five innings and gave up just three runs as the Braves starter vs. the Nationals. After scoring three runs in the first and adding two more in the 5th, the Nationals were held in check until they broke out for two more in the 9th, picking up a 7-2 road win over the Braves.
MacKenzie Gore started for the Nationals, giving up just one run across 5 1/3 innings. He finished with 10 strikeouts but did not factor into the decision. Daniel Hudson got the win out of the bullpen. As for the Braves, Charlie Morton got roughed up, giving up five earned runs in just four innings of work.
Lane Thomas was the difference for the Nationals’ offense, as he went 3/4 with a home run and two RBIs. Keibert Ruiz and Eddie Rosario each drove in two for Washington’s lineup.
Washington is 25-29 overall and 12.5 games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. So far, they have gone 7-6 in divisional games. The Nationals are on the road today, and they are 15-16 on the road compared to 10-13 at home.
The Nationals have been the underdog in most of their games this year, and they are 22-27 in those matchups. As for their record as the favorite, it is 3-2. Washington’s overall series record is 6-10-1, and they are currently up 2-1 in their series vs. the Braves.
Washington has been a good bet against the run line this season, going 33-21 overall. They have been especially good on the road, going 20-11 against the run line. Their average run differential this season is -0.2 runs per game, but they have been able to cover the run line in 61% of their games this season.
The Nationals are on the road against the Braves today, and the O/U line is set at 8.5 runs. The combined run average for their games this season is 8.3 runs, and their O/U record is 24-28. When the O/U line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 9-10. So far this season, 25.9% of their games have had O/U lines set at 8.5 runs or higher.
Trevor Williams Gets The Start For The Nationals
Trevor Williams gets the start for the Nationals today and comes in with a record of 4-0 and ERA of 2.29. So far, he has made 10 appearances and one quality start. Williams’ ERA for the season is 2.29, and he has a WHIP of 1.08. Looking back at his last outing, Williams finished with a no-decision after giving up one earned run in five innings of work. He ended up with eight strikeouts in that outing. Williams has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.59 strikeouts and 2.47 walks.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense is averaging just 4.1 runs per game this season, 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 MLB. As a team, the Nationals are batting just .232, which is 18th in the league.
CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. are the Nationals’ top two hitters in terms of batting average, with Abrams coming in at .260 and Garcia Jr. at .262. Abrams has also been the team’s top power threat, as his nine homers is 10th in the league. However, he has gone just 7/32 in his last eight games. Eddie Rosario has gone deep seven times this season but is batting just .181.
With an overall record of 31-22, the Braves are six games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. So far, they have gone 11-7 in divisional matchups. The Braves will take on the Nationals today at home, and they are 17-10 at home this year.
Atlanta has gone 14-12 on the road this season. The Braves have been the favorite in most of their games, putting together a mark of 30-19 as the favorite. As for their record as the home favorite, they are also 17-10. Looking at their overall series record, the Braves are 11-5-1.
When the Braves win, they do so by an average of 3.7 runs per game, and they are 27-26 against the run line overall. They are 12-15 at home versus the run line, but they are 15-11 on the road. As the favorite, they are 24-25 against the run line, and as the underdog, they are 3-1.
The Braves have played in 24 games this season where the over/under line was higher than 8.5 runs, and they have gone 5-10 in those games. Their games have averaged 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 19-32 overall. The average over/under line in their games this season has been 9 runs.
Ray Kerr Gets The Start For The Braves
Ray Kerr is making his first start of the season for the Braves, and he’ll be facing the Nationals. Kerr has appeared in 3 games out of the bullpen this season, and in his last outing, he took the loss against the Pirates. In that game, he went 4 innings, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits and 1 home run.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 16 home runs are 3rd in the MLB and lead the Braves. Ozuna also comes into the game with the team’s best batting average (.308) and on-base percentage (.388). However, he has gone just 7/33 in his last nine games, with two homers. Matt Olson is also near the top of the league in homers, as his eight home runs are 2nd on the team and 11th in the MLB. Olson has gone 10/37 in his last nine games, including two homers.
As a team, the Braves are 8th in the league in runs scored (4.5) and are batting a collective .251, which is the 7th best mark in the league. Overall, they are 5th in slugging and 7th in OPS. Currently, the Braves have four players on a hitting streak, with Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies both having hit safely in five straight games.
Nationals vs Braves Prediction
Our prediction for this Nationals vs. Braves matchup is that the Braves will come out on top by a final score of 5-4. However, with the payout on a Braves win being -226, we actually like the over in this one, with the line sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Trevor Williams is projected to pick up the most strikeouts among the two starters, but we have him going just five innings. As for Ray Kerr, we have him also going five innings but finishing with fewer strikeouts.
Offensively, we actually have the Braves finishing with more hits than the Nationals, and you can also look to some player props for the Braves, as they are projected to finish with more home runs than the Nationals.
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:May 30, 2024 Braves, Nationals