- The Atlanta Braves are slight -115 favorites against the Washington Nationals.
- The Nationals have -105 odds as an underdog, essentially calling the game a pick ‘em.
WASHINGTON – The Washington Nationals will host the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night in the final game of a three-game series. The Nationals took the first two games but remain slight underdogs to complete the sweep.
Projected Starting Pitchers
- WAS Jon Lester (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.40 WHIP)
- ATL Drew Smyly (0-2, 8.05 ERA, 1.53 WHIP)
One thing MLB betting fans should note is that Lester has only thrown 5.0 innings this season making his overall stats relatively useless. However, Smyly has logged 19.0 innings and has struggled mightily. He’s allowed an astounding nine home runs already this season.
Even though Smyly has been prone to letting up the long ball this year, the Nationals have hit the third fewest homers this season, meaning that Smyly might not be punished for missing his spot like he has in the rest of his outings.
Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves Betting Odds
- Moneyline: WAS -105, ATL -115
- Spread: WAS -1.5 (+140), ATL +1.5 (-160)
- Total: O/U 9.0
Batting Stats: Last Two Weeks
- WAS #14 in BA (.239), #13 in OBP (.315), #21 in SLG (.376)
- ATL #12 in BA (.242), #14 in OBP (.313), #5 in SLG (.434)
Aside from slugging, these two teams have been pretty much identical over the past two weeks which makes it very unspringing that sports betting sites list the teams odds as a near pick ’em.
With that said, the lack of slugging from Washington could be the team’s downfall against a pitcher who’s been struggling against power hitters.
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An Edge On Either Side?
Online sportsbooks have their MLB betting odds listed this way for a reason, it’s a tough game to call. Washington seemingly has the starting pitching advantage, but Lester has such a small sample size this year. Atlanta has an edge at the plate, but the numbers are more or less identical.
Potentially the deciding factor in this game will be the bullpen.
The Braves currently have one of the worst bullpens in the MLB, posting a 5.27 ERA as a unit over the last two weeks. The Nats on the other hand have a solid bullpen with a 2.93 ERA, good for 10th in MLB. Atlanta’s relief pitchers also have a 1.50 WHIP over the last two weeks, seventh worst in the league, while Washington’s have a 1.01 WHIP which ranks as the fifth best over that span.
How to Watch
The Nationals and Braves game is set to start at 4 p.m. EST and can be watched on MLB Extra Innings or on MLB.TV.
Nick got involved with the world of sports at a young age and never turned his back on it. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Broadcast/Journalism. In his free time, you can catch him at the bottom of the leaderboards on any video game he’s playing.
