Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals Prediction, 4/5/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals

Date: Monday, April 5, 2021

Location: Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

TV: MASN/MASN2

Odds/Point Spread: Atlanta (+105) Washington (-156)

Drew Smyly and the Atlanta Braves (0-2, 5th in NL East) travel to Nationals Park on Monday where they'll take on the Washington Nationals (0-0, 3rd in NL East). The Braves open this contest at +105 while the Nationals are priced at -156. The over/under is set at 8.5. The pitchers taking the mound are Drew Smyly and Max Scherzer.

As a team, the Atlanta Braves put up 5.8 runs per outing last year, which was 2nd in the league. They earned 348 runs and held an on-base percentage of .349. The Braves tallied 130 doubles as a team and knocked 103 balls out of the park. They accounted for 338 runs batted in in addition to 556 hits over the course of last year, and their team batting average finished at .268. Atlanta had a slugging percentage of .483 and were rung up 573 times, while being walked on 239 occasions.

The Braves had an ERA of 4.41 in the prior season (15th in the league), and their staff rung up 506 batters. They earned a K/BB ratio of 2.30 and the pitching staff had a collective WHIP of 1.36. Braves pitchers gave up 69 home runs and 288 runs in total (16th in the league). Their pitching staff walked 220 players from the other team and their FIP was 4.42 as a unit over the course of last year. Braves pitchers stepped onto the hill with players on base in 65 games as well as 59 games with high leverage. The bullpen notched 31 holds during the previous year (13th in the league). The Braves relievers had a save percentage of 68.4% and entered the game in 53 save situations. They compiled 13 saves for the prior year and did not convert 6 of 19 save opportunities. The relievers inherited 101 runners in the prior season with 30.7% of those runners ended up scoring. The Braves sent forth 228 relievers to the hill for the previous season.

Smyly had a FIP of 2.01 and his ERA+ was 125. Drew Smyly allowed 20 hits in 26.1 innings in which he pitched last season. He allowed 10 ER's last year with a K/BB ratio of 4.7. He surrendered 6.8 hits per 9 innings and he had a WHIP of 1.101. His ERA was at 3.42 and he punched out 42 opposing batters. Smyly (35-35 career win-loss mark) sits with a FIP of 4.15 while going up against 2,975 opposing batters in the major leagues. He has surrendered 669 base hits (8.5 hits per nine innings) and has had 225 walks. His earned run average is 4.13 (326 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.258. Smyly has taken the ball for 710 innings and has earned 714 punch outs so far in his career.

The Nats recorded 112 two-baggers, while getting a free base 192 times as well as putting up 293 runs. The Nationals had a team slugging % of .433 and they earned 4.88 runs per game (10th in the league). Washington accumulated 66 home runs over the course of last year to go along with 279 RBIs. They were rung up on 451 instances (29th in MLB) and earned 519 hits. The Washington Nationals had an OBP of .336 as well as a batting average of .264 over the course of last season.

The Nationals had a WHIP of 1.518 and had a FIP of 5.02 as a pitching staff during the previous year. They finished at 4th in MLB as a staff in total hits relinquished with 548. The Washington pitching staff conceded 301 runs over the course of last year while having an ERA of 5.10 (285 earned runs surrendered). Their strikeout to walk ratio came in at 2.35 (508 strikeouts vs 216 bases on balls). They allowed 94 long balls and they gave up 5.38 runs per 9 innings (22nd in the league). Washington relievers had an inherited score percentage of 26.0% of 118 inherited runners. Their relievers came into 58 games with high leverage in addition to 64 contests with base runners. With 22 opportunities for a save, the Nationals amassed 41 holds in addition to 10 blown saves. They were ranked 21st in the league holding a save rate of 54.5%, and they dispatched 202 bullpen pitchers onto the field last year. Washington had relief pitchers enter the contest in 64 save situations and they tallied 12 saves.

Scherzer allowed 70 total hits while he conceded 28 ER's (3.74 ERA). His WHIP was 1.38 and he earned a FIP of 3.46 last season. He threw 67.1 innings last year while conceding 9.4 hits per 9 innings. Scherzer had a strikeout to walk ratio of 4.0 with 92 total K's and he held an ERA+ of 118. Scherzer (175-93 win-loss record in his career) holds a 3.21 ERA while giving up 7.5 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 4.34 and he has faced 9,573 hitters thus far in his career. He has allowed 841 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.100 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.1. During his MLB career, Scherzer has given up 1,953 hits while he has totaled 2,784 K's in 2,357 innings.

Who will win tonight's baseball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Atlanta (+105)

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