Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals Betting Preview
NL East rivals will square off on Friday in the second of a four-game series as the Atlanta Braves (54-37) take on the Washington Nationals (30-61). Washington will host this one at Nationals Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm ET.
In the first game, Atlanta was able to win 5-4 over Washington. Kyle Wright picked up his 11th win of the season after going seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. Kenley Jansen secured his 21st save of the season despite giving up a run in the ninth.
Offensively, Atlanta swatted three home runs, including the 16th of the season for Matt Olson. Dansby Swanson and Michael Harris II also homered in the win.
For Washington, Anibal Sanchez picked up the loss. He went five innings, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out five.
Josh Bell, a likely trade candidate over the next few weeks, hit his 13th home run of the season while also going two for five.
Atlanta is a heavy favorite on Friday despite playing on the road. They are -215 to win while the Nationals’ moneyline sits at +180. The runline features Washington +1.5 (+105), and the over/under for total runs is 9.5.
Defending Champs Trying To Catch Mets
At 54-37, the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves currently sit just 2.5 games back of the Mets for the NL East lead. Trying to cut into the deficit while also improving on their 23-17 road record, the Braves will look to dispose of a struggling Nationals team.
Taking the mound for the Braves in this one is 24-year-old righty Ian Anderson. In 17 games, Anderson is 7-5 with a 4.98 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and he has 74 strikeouts in 86.2 innings of work.
Anderson took a no-decision in his last start against the Nationals. In that matchup, he went 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits, four walks, and struck out five.
Several of the Braves’ hitters have had success against the Nationals’ Patrick Corbin. Adam Duvall has the best stats as he has hit .344 in 32 at bats with two home runs and eight runs batted in off of the lefty.
Marcell Ozuna (2 HR, 7 RBI), Austin Riley (HR, 5 RBI), Orlando Arica (.429 avg, HR, 5 RBI), and Dansby Swanson (HR, 5 RBI) have also had success.
Nationals Try To Play Spoiler
It has been quite a frustrating season for Nationals’ fans. At 30-61, they have the worst record in baseball and sit 26.5 games out of first place in the NL East. Still, they will have the opportunity to play spoiler for many of the playoff hopefuls, including the Braves, on Friday.
To play spoiler, though, Washington is going to have to improve on their dreadful 14-34 home record. They have also lost nine of their last ten games.
On the mound for Washington Friday is southpaw Patrick Corbin. In 18 games, he is 4-11 with a 5.70 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and has 83 strikeouts in 94.2 innings.
Corbin took a loss in his last start as he allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings to the Braves. He will look to bounce back with a better outing against his division rival.
As an upcoming free agent, Josh Bell is a name that could likely be on the move this trade deadline. Despite Washington’s struggles, Bell has been fantastic as he is hitting .300/.380/.488 with 13 home runs, 48 runs batted in, and 45 runs scored.
Of course, the true star power on the Nationals is outfielder Juan Soto. He is hitting just .248/.403/.493, but he leads the team in home runs (19) and runs scored (55). He also has 41 runs batted in on the season.
Take Atlanta To Win And Cover
It is just really hard to bet against Atlanta in this one as all the trends point their way. They are 14-4 in their last 18 road games, 7-0 in their last seven games against Washington, and 10-0 in their last ten games at Nationals Park.
While Ian Anderson is not immune to giving up some runs with a 4.98 ERA, he gets a Nationals team that ranks 27th in scoring, averaging 3.84 runs per game (3.66 at home).
With the Braves ranking fifth in scoring (4.71 runs per game), expect them to not only win this one but to cover the runline as well.
Take Atlanta -1.5 (-126).
