Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Turner Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Stephen Strasburg vs. Bud Norris

The Washington Nationals visit Turner Field on Wednesday to play the Atlanta Braves. The probable starters are Stephen Strasburg for the Nationals and Bud Norris for the Braves. The opening line for this matchup has Washington at -195 and Atlanta at +184. The over/under was set at 7.5. The Nationals had a 83-71-8 over/under record last season and a 71-91-0 run line mark, meaning they covered 44% of the time. The Braves were 76-86-0 against the run line and had a 81-72-9 over/under record. They covered the spread 47% of the time.

The Nationals head into this matchup coming off a 83 - 79 season, including 37-44 on the road. Starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg had a 11 - 7 record with an earned run average of 3.46 and a WHIP of 1.11. He had 155 strikeouts over his 127.1 innings pitched and he also gave up 115 hits over that time period. He allowed 8.1 hits per 9 innings and he had a FIP of 2.81. The bullpen had an earned run average of 3.46 and they gave up 431 base hits on the year. Teams hit .240 against the bullpen while being struck out 421 times and walking 142 times last season. As a team, Washington allowed 8.57 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.42 batters per nine. They were 7th in the league in team earned run average at 3.62. The Nationals pitchers collectively gave up 1,366 base hits and 577 earned runs last year. They allowed 145 home runs last season and they allowed 0.9 homers per nine innings as a staff. Washington as a pitching staff walked 364 batters and struck out 1,342. They walked 2.3 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.4 per 9. They had a team WHIP of 1.21 and their FIP as a unit was 3.45.

As a team, Washington batted .251, good for 16th in the league while putting together a .246 average away from home. The Nationals held a .403 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .321 which was good for 12th in baseball. They ranked 22nd in baseball with 8.41 hits per game. Bryce Harper hit .330 last season and his on-base percentage was at .460. He had 172 hits last season along with 118 runs scored and 99 runs batted in. He struck out 131 times and walked 124 times. Yunel Escobar hit .314 and he had an on-base percentage of .375 last year. He totaled 168 hits while scoring 75 runs and he drove in 56. He walked 45 times and struck out 70 times. The Nationals had 1,363 hits, including 265 doubles, 13 triples, and 177 home runs. They stole 57 bases while they were thrown out stealing 23 times. Washington walked 539 times last season and they struck out 1,344 times as a unit. They left 1,114 men on base and had a team OPS of .724. They scored 4.34 runs per contest and scored a total of 703 runs last season.

Atlanta comes into this matchup after having a 42-39 home record and a 67 - 95 overall mark last year. With an earned run average last season of 6.72, Bud Norris will come into this game after holding a 3 - 11 record and a 1.58 WHIP. He had 71 strikeouts over the 83 innings he pitched during which he gave up 100 hits. He allowed 10.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stood at 5.04. The bullpen had an earned run average of 4.69 and they gave up 491 base hits last year. Teams hit .260 against the Braves bullpen while being struck out 430 times and walking 217 times last season. As a team, Atlanta allowed 9.23 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.25 batters per nine. They were 27th in the league in team earned run average at 4.41. The Braves pitchers as a team surrendered 1,462 base knocks and 698 earned runs last season. They gave up 170 home runs last year and they gave up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Atlanta as a staff walked 550 hitters and struck out 1,148. They gave up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they struck out 7.2 per 9. Their team WHIP was 1.41 while their FIP as a staff was 4.34.

As a team, they hit .251, good for 15th in the league while putting together a .248 average at home. The Braves held a .359 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .314 which was good for 17th in baseball. They ranked 23rd in baseball with 8.4 hits per contest. Freddie Freeman batted .276 last season and he had an OBP of .370. He had 115 hits last year along with 62 runs scored and 66 RBI. He struck out 98 times and walked on 56 occasions. Michael Bourn hit .238 and he had an OBP of .310. He collected 101 hits last year while he scored 39 runs and drove in 30. He earned a walk 46 times and punched out 107 times. The Braves as a unit had 1,361 base hits last year, including 251 doubles, 18 triples, and 100 homers. They had 69 stolen bases while they were thrown out 33 times. Atlanta as a team walked 471 times last year and they struck out 1,107 times. They had 1,145 men left on base and had an OPS of .674. They scored 3.54 runs per game and totaled 573 runs last season.

Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals were 83-71-8 against the over/under last season

The Washington Nationals were 71-91-0 against the run line last season

Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves were 81-72-9 against the over/under last season

The Atlanta Braves were 76-86-0 against the run line last season

Injuries to Watch

Washington Nationals

03/31/16 P Aaron Barrett Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/1)

Atlanta Braves

04/04/16 P Andrew McKiraha Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (3/25)
04/04/16 P Manuel Banuelos Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (3/25)
04/04/16 P Paco Rodrigue Elbow out for season
04/04/16 P Shae Simmons Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (3/25)

Guy's Pick: Take the Nationals

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