Braves vs. Nationals Odds & Betting Predictions - September 10, 2024

Follow On X: https://x.com/PicksOffice Lopez has been in great form of late, having a 2.00 ERA and 0.89 WHIP across his last three starts, commanding the zone very well - evident by the strikeout-to-walk ratio - providing batters with minimal opportunities to force runs across the board. About his last outing against Washington, in which he has given up just one earned run across six innings, it would appear to most that Lopez has the Nationals' number. The Braves bullpen further helps this along with a sterling 1.14 ERA over their last three games to really hammer home the taking of Atlanta with their incredible pitching. All in all, the Atlanta staff ranks 2nd in the league with a 3.51 team ERA while leading MLB in strikeouts to show they have the ability to overpower opposing hitters on a consistent basis. On the other hand, MacKenzie Gore has been doing alright of late, possessing a 2.00 ERA in his last three starts-something that may just show this will be a low-scoring duel between two in-form pitchers. Though a season WHIP of 1.50 would indicate that he allows more baserunners than one could want, he has mostly worked his way out of those jams to this point in keeping recent games close. His last time out against the Atlanta club, where he allowed just the one earned run, shows he can navigate this Braves offense that's struggled lately to put runs across the plate. The Braves offense has also struggled mightily of late, batting .204 over their last 10 games and averaging a paltry 3.00 runs per game over that stretch. It also doesn't help that they have minimal pop (0.6 home runs per game) and strike out a bunch (8.4 per game), which shows that they may not take advantage of Gore's occasional control problems very well. Meanwhile, Washington's bullpen hasn't been quite as tight, as evidenced by their 5.62 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over the its last three appearances. On the other side, Atlanta's offense has gone cold, averaging just 2.40 runs per game over its last 10 contests. Even against a scuffling Nationals bullpen, it's unlikely that the Braves suddenly explode for a high-scoring output. Washington's offense has similarly been inconsistent this season, scoring an average of 4.40 runs per game, but striking out an average of 8.0 times per game and hitting just 0.9 home runs per game. The Nationals also rank dead middle of the pack in runs per game at 4.22 and 22nd in OPS at .691, meaning they are not a threat to blow the game wide open. With both teams struggling with offensive games, and both teams having strong starting pitchers opposing each other, this looks like the premier matchup to stay under the total. Lopez and Gore have proven capable of keeping these lineups in check all season, and recent trends point to another low-scoring affair. The "Under" has hit in six of the last eight meetings between these two teams, and it's tough to envision where either side would break out offensively in this matchup. Take the under and expect an extremely contested, grind-it-out-style battle.