The Washington Nationals will take the field against their divisional rival Atlanta Braves in a Saturday showdown. The action will get going at 7:20 p.m. ET and Fox Sports One will be showing the game.
Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves Odds
Washington (+150) is entering this game as the underdog to Atlanta (-160) and Vegas has the Over/Under for this game at 10.5 runs (-125 for the under and +105 for the over). The game’s current runline odds sit at -145 for picking the Nationals +1.5 runs and +125 for the Braves -1.5 runs.
The Braves are 59-40 straight up (SU) and 47-51 against the spread (ATS). The team’s gained 12.8 units for bettors taking the moneyline while earning 2.5 units ATS. The Nationals are 51-45 SU and have gone 52-43 ATS. Overall, the club has lost 6.7 units for moneyline gamblers, but have gained 5.0 units ATS.
Braves games have had an over/under record of 51-41-6 so far in 2019. The Nationals have an over/under record of 44-45-6.
Anibal Sanchez is getting the nod for the visiting Nationals. The right-handed Sanchez is 5-6 with a 3.71 ERA and 77 strikeouts. He’s 1-0 with 13 strikeouts and a 3.00 ERA against Atlanta this year (two starts).
The Braves are putting the ball in the right hand of Mike Soroka (10-1, 2.24 ERA), who’s got 82 strikeouts and 22 walks as well as a 1.05 WHIP. Soroka is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one start against Washington this year.
As a unit, Atlanta’s pitching staff has allowed 4.8 runs per game overall in 2019. Its starters have an ERA of 4.51, a WHIP of 1.38 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.0. The bullpen has a 4.02 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 9.5 K/9. In 38 divisional games, Braves starters have an ERA of 4.93 and the bullpen’s ERA is 3.61.
Atlanta’s offense is putting up 5.3 runs per contest, including 5.5 per game against divisional foes and 3.4 per game over its last five. The team has hit .246/.325/.380 over its last five contests and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
Left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and first baseman Freddie Freeman have paced the Braves’ hitters this year. Acuna Jr. is slashing .290/.373/.503 with 23 home runs, 56 RBIs, 75 runs and 19 stolen bases, and Freeman’s line sits at .296/.384/.566 with 25 homers, 76 RBIs and 73 runs scored.
In the visiting dugout, Washington’s pitching staff allowed 4.5 runs per game and its starters own a 3.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 9.85 K/9. The bullpen has managed an ERA of 5.97, along with a WHIP of 1.19 and a K-per-9 of 9.18.
Nationals hitters have slashed .255/.331/.435 on their way to 5.0 runs scored per game in 2019, including 5.6 runs per game against divisional foes and 5.8 per game over the team’s last five outings (2-3 SU).
Washington’s hitters have been led by outfielder Adam Eaton and third baseman Anthony Rendon. Eaton is slashing .282/.364/.390 with six home runs, 24 RBIs, 54 runs and eight steals, while Rendon (.318/.401/.614) has produced 20 homers, 66 RBIs and 70 runs scored.
The Nationals have lost 0.3 units and are 42-31 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has hit in 33 of those games, compared to 37 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Braves have netted 7.7 units and are 37-40 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in 38 of those games, as opposed to 35 that’ve cashed the under.
Nationals vs. Braves MLB Tip
Predictions: SU Winner – Braves, ATS Winner – Nationals, O/U – OVER
Betting Trends
- The under has cashed in six of Washington’s last seven games.
- The Nationals have a total OPS of .766 this season and an OPS of .734 against right-handed pitchers. The Braves’ OPS sits at .796 overall and .789 against righties.
- Atlanta has posted 21.3 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 20.2 over its last five.
- The Nationals have hit nine home runs in their last 10 games. The Braves have hit 13 over their last 10.
