Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals Prediction, 4/1/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals

Date: Saturday, April 1, 2023

Location: Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

TV: MASN

Odds/Point Spread: Atlanta (-255) Washington (+215)

Nationals Park is the site where the Washington Nationals (55-107 last season) will attempt to defeat the Atlanta Braves (101-61 last year) on Saturday. The moneyline on this contest has the Braves at -255 while the Nationals are opening at +215. The total comes in at 8.5. The starting pitchers will be Spencer Strider and Jon Gray.

Atlanta had a slugging rate of .443 and struck out 1,498 times, while taking a walk on 470 occasions. They amassed 753 RBI's in addition to 1,394 hits for the prior year, while their average at the plate came in at .253. The Braves compiled 298 doubles as a team and knocked 243 balls out of the park. They earned 789 runs while having a team OBP of .317. As a squad, the Atlanta Braves earned 4.9 runs/g, which had them at 3rd in baseball.

The Braves had a team earned run average of 3.46 for the previous season (5th in baseball), and the staff struck out 1,554 hitters. They had a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.11 and the pitching staff earned a collective WHIP of 1.19. Braves pitchers gave up 148 long balls and 609 runs in total (5th in MLB). They walked 500 opposing batters and their FIP came in at 3.46 as a team in the previous season.

Braves pitchers went to the mound with runners on base 136 times and also had 182 games in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers tallied 114 holds for the prior year (2nd in baseball). The Braves relief pitchers recorded a save percentage of 66.3% and entered the game in 200 save situations. They recorded 55 saves over the course of last year and did not convert 28 of 83 save opportunities. The bullpen inherited 193 base runners in the previous season with 31.6% of those runners ended up crossing the plate. The Braves had sent 518 relief pitchers to the mound during the previous year.

The Braves converted 70.1% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 13,032 innings, ranking them 14th in professional baseball. The Atlanta Braves had a tally of 4,344 putouts in the previous season, as well as 1,382 assists and 77 errors. Their fielding rate finished at .987 which ranked 9th in MLB, and had a total of 110 double plays.

Strider has taken the mound for 134 frames and has racked up 202 strikeouts in his career. Strider (12-5 career mark) holds a FIP of 1.97 and he has gone up against 537 opposing batters in the major leagues. His ERA is 2.69 (40 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.000. He has given up 88 hits (5.9 hits per nine innings) and has had 46 free passes.

Washington recorded 136 home runs for the prior year to go along with 579 RBIs. They notched 252 two-baggers, while walking 442 times as well as racking up 603 runs. The Washington Nationals earned an on-base percentage of .310 in addition to a team batting average of .249 last season. The Nationals held a team slugging percentage of .377 and they were earning 3.72 runs per game (26th in the league). They were rung up on 1,221 instances (27th in the league) and had 1,351 base hits.

The Nationals had a team WHIP of 1.436 in addition to having a FIP of 4.98 as a unit over the course of the prior season. Their strikeout to walk ratio came in at 2.19 (1,220 strikeouts against 558 free passes). They were ranked 28th in the league as a staff in total hits relinquished with 1,469. They gave up 244 dingers and they surrender 5.45 runs per 9 innings (29th in MLB). The Washington pitching staff allowed 855 runs over the course of last season while holding a team ERA of 5.01 (785 earned runs conceded).

Ending the season with 105 save situations, the Nationals accrued 59 holds and also 17 blown saves. Washington called on bullpen pitchers to enter the contest in 45 save chances and they earned 28 saves. Their relief pitchers came in 128 times in high leverage situations and also on 152 occasions with runners on. Washington bullpen pitchers had an inherited score percentage of 32.2% of 242 inherited base runners. They were sitting at 18th in MLB holding a save percentage of 62.2%, and they dispatched 588 bullpen pitchers to the hill last year.

Washington Nationals turned 126 double plays and notched a fielding percentage of .982 (29th in the majors). The Nationals recorded 1,410 assists, 104 errors and a tally of 4,235 putouts last year. In 12,705 innings played, the Nationals accumulated a defensive efficiency of 68.7% (24th in the majors).

In his pro baseball career, Gray has surrendered 935 base knocks while totaling 983 punch outs in 956 innings. He has given up a total of 479 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.311 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.9. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.08 and he has faced 4,077 opposing batters so far in his MLB career. Gray (60-56 record in his career) is the owner of a 4.51 ERA while giving up 8.8 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Parlay's Pundit's Pick: Take Washington (+215) and under 8.5 runs

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