Thursday, August 18, 2016

Turner Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Reynaldo Lopez vs. Robert Whalen

The Washington Nationals visit Turner Field on Thursday to play the Atlanta Braves. The probable starters are Reynaldo Lopez for the Nationals and Robert Whalen for the Braves. The opening line for this matchup has Washington at -153 and Atlanta at +143. The over/under was set at 9. The Nationals have a 56-55-7 over/under record and a 61-57-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 52% of the time. The Braves are 58-61-0 against the run line and have a 54-58-7 over/under record. They cover the spread 49% of the time.

The Nationals head into this matchup with a 70-48 record, including 34-25 on the road. Starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez has a 1-1 record with an earned run average of 5.74 and a WHIP of 1.72. He has 15 strikeouts over his 15.2 innings pitched and he has given up 19 hits so far this season. He has allowed 10.9 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.41. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.13 and they have given up 292 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .232 against the bullpen while being struck out 343 times and walking 114 times this season. As a team, Washington has allowed 7.69 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.15 batters per nine. They are 2nd in the league in team earned run average at 3.29. The Nationals pitchers have collectively given up 915 base hits and 391 earned runs. They have allowed 110 home runs this season and they allow 0.9 homers per nine innings as a staff. Washington as a pitching staff has walked 335 batters and struck out 1,088. They walk 2.8 men per 9 innings while striking out 9.1 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.17 and their FIP as a unit is 3.48.

As a team, Washington is batting .253, good for 17th in the league while putting together a .257 average away from home. The Nationals hold a .430 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .326 which is good for 13th in baseball. They rank 17th in baseball with 8.6 hits per game. Daniel Murphy comes into this game hitting .348 and his on-base percentage is at .388. He has 146 hits this season along with 71 runs scored and 87 runs batted in. He's struck out 46 times and has walked 25 times. Wilson Ramos is hitting .331 and he has an on-base percentage of .378. He has totaled 120 hits so far while scoring 53 runs and he's driven in 67. He has walked 29 times and has struck out 50 times. The Nationals have 1,015 hits, including 197 doubles and 156 home runs. They've stolen 80 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 29 times. Washington has walked 407 times this season and they've struck out 888 times as a unit. They've left 811 men on base and have a team OPS of .756. They score 4.73 runs per contest and have scored a total of 558 runs so far this year.

Atlanta comes into this matchup with a 18-40 home record and a 44-75 overall mark. With an earned run average of 7.31, Robert Whalen has a 1-1 record and a 1.25 WHIP. He has 17 strikeouts over the 16 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 15 hits. He has allowed 8.4 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 5.57. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.99 and they have given up 389 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .248 against the Braves bullpen while being struck out 396 times and walking 195 times this season. As a team, Atlanta has allowed 8.65 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.47 batters per nine. They are 22nd in the league in team earned run average at 4.40. The Braves pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,030 base knocks and 524 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 132 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Atlanta as a staff has walked 416 hitters and struck out 890. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.5 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.35 while their FIP as a staff is 4.37.

As a team, they are batting .244, good for 26th in the league while putting together a .247 average at home. The Braves hold a .363 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .308 which is good for 25th in baseball. They rank 24th in baseball with 8.32 hits per contest. Freddie Freeman comes into this matchup batting .287 and he has an OBP of .381. He has 127 hits this year along with 67 runs scored and 54 RBI. He's struck out 129 times and has walked on 60 occasions. Nick Markakis is hitting .269 and he has an OBP of .342. He has collected 120 hits so far while he's scored 45 runs and drove in 63. He has earned a walk 51 times and has punched out 76 times. The Braves as a unit have 990 base hits, including 203 doubles and 79 homers. They have 56 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 26 times. Atlanta as a team has walked 344 times this year and they have struck out 891 times. They've had 838 men left on base and have an OPS of .671. They score 3.56 runs per game and have totaled 424 runs so far this season.

Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals are 56-55-7 against the over/under so far this season

The Washington Nationals are 61-57-0 against the run line so far this season

Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 54-58-7 against the over/under so far this season

The Atlanta Braves are 58-61-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Washington Nationals

08/07/16 1B Ryan Zimmerman Wrist 15-day DL (8/1)
07/30/16 C Jose Lobaton Elbow 15-day DL (7/20)
07/27/16 2B Stephen Drew Vertigo 15-day DL (7/24)
07/03/16 P Joe Ross Shoulder 15-day DL (7/3)
03/31/16 P Aaron Barrett Elbow 60-day DL (4/1)

Atlanta Braves

08/11/16 P Joel De La Cruz Knee left last start, "?" for next start
08/09/16 P Chris Withrow Elbow 15-day DL (8/5)
08/02/16 P Julio Teheran Back 15-day DL (7/31)
08/01/16 P Matt Marksberry Shoulder 15-day DL (7/31)
07/16/16 P Arodys Vizcaino Oblique 15-day DL (7/15)
07/12/16 C Tyler Flowers Hand 15-day DL (7/10)
06/28/16 P John Gant Oblique 15-day DL (6/27)
06/20/16 LF Mallex Smith Thumb 60-day DL (6/20)
06/08/16 P Williams Perez Rotator Cuff 60-day DL (6/7)
04/12/16 P Daniel Winkler Elbow 60-day DL (4/11)
04/04/16 P Andrew McKirahan Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Paco Rodriguez Elbow out for season

Josh's Pick: Take the Nationals

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