Saturday, May 20, 2017

Turner Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Max Scherzer vs. Bartolo Colon

Turner Field is the site of the matchup between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, May 20, 2017. The probable starting pitchers are Max Scherzer for the Nationals and Bartolo Colon for the Braves.

Washington opens at -190 while Atlanta opens at +178. The Nationals have a 23-15-2 over/under record and a 19-21-0 run line mark. The Braves are 20-18-0 against the run line and have a 24-14-0 over/under record.

Valuable Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals are 23-15-2 against the over/under

The Washington Nationals are 19-21-0 against the run line

Important Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 24-14-0 against the over/under

The Atlanta Braves are 20-18-0 against the run line

Key Washington Nationals Injuries

05/17/17 P Joe Blanton Shoulder 10-day DL (5/17)
05/14/17 P Max Scherzer Knee injured last game, "?" for next scheduled start
04/29/17 CF Adam Eaton Knee 10-day DL (04/29)
04/20/17 P Sammy Solis Elbow 10-day DL (04/19)
04/12/17 2B Stephen Drew Hamstring 10-day DL (04/12)

Key Atlanta Braves Injuries

05/18/17 3B Adonis Garcia Achilles 10-day DL (5/16)
05/18/17 1B Freddie Freeman Wrist 10-day DL (5/18)
04/13/17 P Chaz Roe Shoulder 10-day DL (4/10)
04/03/17 P Armando Rivero Shoulder 10-day DL (3/30)
04/03/17 P Daniel Winkler Elbow 10-day DL (3/30)
04/02/17 2B Micah Johnson Wrist 60-day DL (3/30)
04/01/17 1B Sean Rodriguez Shoulder 60-day DL (2/25)
03/31/17 P Mauricio Cabrera Elbow 10-day DL (3/30)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Nationals have a 25-15 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer has a 4-2 record with an earned run average of 2.80 and a WHIP of 0.95. He has 70 strikeouts over his 54.2 innings pitched and he's given up 39 hits. He allows 6.4 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.02. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.32 and they have given up 135 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .281 against the bullpen and they've struck out 107 hitters and walked 39 batters. As a team, Washington allows 8.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.2 batters per nine innings. They are 22nd in the league in team earned run average at 4.43. The Nationals pitchers collectively have given up 350 base hits and 178 earned runs. They have allowed 53 home runs this season, ranking them 10th in the league. Washington as a pitching staff has walked 130 batters and struck out 331. They have walked 3.2 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.2 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.33 and their FIP as a unit is 4.32.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other MLB games check out our handicapping tips.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Washington is hitting .278, good for 1st in the league. The Nationals hold a .481 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .353, which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 1st in MLB with 9.8 hits per game. Bryce Harper is hitting .365 with an on-base percentage of .479. He has 50 hits this season in 137 at bats with 36 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .723 and an OPS+ of 212. Daniel Murphy is hitting .320 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .385. He has totaled 49 hits and he has driven in 31 men in 153 at bats. His OPS+ is 142 while his slugging percentage is at .542. The Nationals have 393 hits, including 86 doubles and 63 home runs. Washington has walked 159 times so far this season and they have struck out 319 times as a unit. They have left 284 men on base and have a team OPS of .834. They score 5.92 runs per contest and have scored a total of 237 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Atlanta has a 16-22 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 6.80, Bartolo Colon has a 2-4 record and a 1.47 WHIP. He has 27 strikeouts over the 43.2 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 53 hits. He allows 10.9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 5.01. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.51 and they have given up 117 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .247 against the Braves bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 113 batters and walked 47 opposing hitters. As a team, Atlanta allows 9 hits per nine innings while striking out 6.7 batters per nine innings. They are 28th in the league in team earned run average at 4.85. The Braves pitchers as a team have surrendered 338 base knocks and 183 earned runs this season. They have given up 54 home runs this year, which ranks 7th in Major League Baseball. Atlanta as a staff has walked 133 hitters and struck out 251 batters. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 6.7 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.39 while their FIP as a staff is 4.94.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .260, good for 8th in the league. The Braves hold a .400 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .332, which is good for 8th in baseball. They rank 8th in MLB with 9.0 hits per contest. Nick Markakis comes into this matchup batting .315 with an OBP of .392. He has 46 hits this year along with 21 RBI in 146 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .404 with an OPS+ of 111. Brandon Phillips is hitting .282 this season and he has an OBP of .326. He has collected 35 hits in 124 at bats while driving in 12 runs. He has an OPS+ of 89 and a slugging percentage of .395. The Braves as a unit have 341 base hits, including 60 doubles and 38 homers. Atlanta has walked 121 times this year and they have struck out on 298 occasions. They have had 265 men left on base and have an OPS of .732. They have scored 4.58 runs per game and totaled 174 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Nationals/Braves MLB game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Nationals -190

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Guy Bruhn