Nationals vs Braves Odds and Picks (Sep. 9)

• The Nationals visit the Braves in the series finale of a three-game set on Thursday night
• Atlanta is a heavy -220 favorite at home
• Find the odds, lines, analysis, and prediction, below

It’s an NL East showdown on Thursday night as the Washington Nationals (58-81, 25-42 away) visit the Atlanta Braves (73-65, 34-33 home) for the finale of a three-game set at Truist Park. First-pitch is scheduled for 7:20 PM ET. Atlanta has won five of the last six against the last place Nats.

Washington starts Erick Fedde here and the Braves counter with the hard-throwing right-hander Huascar Ynoa.

Nationals vs Braves Odds

Odds as of September 8th at DraftKings.

Probable Pitchers

Fedde will be looking to bounce back with a quality start after two consecutive poot outings against the New York Mets, where he allowed nine runs combined. In fact, Fedde has been struggling for most of the season. The 28-year-old is 6-9 with a 5.27 ERA in 2021. While he has made a career-high 23 starts, opposing lineups are hitting .275 off him. They’ve been specifically feasting off his slider, batting over .300 against the pitch.

Erick Fedde is no match for Javy Baez pic.twitter.com/JyLtsG4LK8

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 4, 2021

Fedde has shown the ability to rack up the K’s, striking out 105 in 111 innings of work. He’s also allowed just 38 walks, which is respectable. It’s simple came down to the fact that he hasn’t been able to keep his sinker down in the zone and in return, teams are lighting him up on a consistent basis. To make matters worse, the Braves are slashing .364 vs. Fedde. He’s posted an atrocious 11.12 ERA against Atlanta this season as well. That being said, Thursday will be a tough start for the righty.

Fedde vs Ynoa

Ynoa has only tossed 67.2 innings this year after a stint on the 60-day IL due to a hand injury. He returned to the Atlanta rotation on August 17th and actually pitched very well last month. In three starts, the Dominican compiled a 2.60 ERA, with opponents hitting a mere .167. For the season, Ynoa has posted a 4-5 record to go along with a 3.19 ERA. When he’s been available, the right-hander has been effective.

However, Ynoa is coming off a rough outing against the Colorado Rockies, allowing four earned runs across 5.2 frames. While his statistics don’t exactly show any struggles, he hasn’t won a start since May 9th. That comes down to the lack of run support he’s received, though. In two appearances vs. Washington in 2021, Ynoa has been stellar, surrendering no runs in 12 innings. He also pitches substantially better at home, compiling a sharp 2.29 ERA.

Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers

The Nationals continue to slide after blowing up their roster at the trade deadline. They’re 2-8 in their last 10 games and are tied with the Miami Marlins for dead last in the National League East. Washington is basically heading into a rebuild at this point and there are definitely some more changes expected this winter.

Josh Bell has hit 25 HRs in a season for the 3rd time in his @MLB career.

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🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔@JBell_19 // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/Tcb6Ntb6Ld

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 9, 2021

Pitching has been their biggest problem this season, sitting 25th in the Majors with a 4.76 team ERA. Since Scherzer left, there isn’t really a consistent arm in their rotation who can go out and shut down an offense. The Nats have swung the bats fairly well, hitting .258 as a team, but have struggled to drive in runs.

Following a cold spell, Atlanta is looking to get back on track as they eye the division title. The Braves currently sit two games above the Philadelphia Phillies in first place and have won two of their last three. After this Nationals series, Atlanta hosts the Marlins and Rockies, which are both matchups that should result in victories.

The @Braves are the second team in MLB history to have all four infielders hit 25+ home runs in the same season. pic.twitter.com/yV9JzWV4Cv

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) September 5, 2021

Credit needs to be given to Brian Snitker’s squad for still getting it done without superstar Ronald Acuna Jr, who tore his ACL earlier in the year. The Braves offense has been thriving from the long ball, with five different players hitting 25 or more homers in 2021. No other ballclub in the big leagues has reached that feat this season.

Nationals vs Braves Prediction

Fedde has been inconsistent as ever lately and Atlanta rakes off him, while Ynoa is lights out at Truist Park. Therefore, the Braves are a good bet to cover the runline here and pick up a crucial victory at home.

Pick: Atlanta Braves -1.5 (-115)