Atlanta Braves (0-0) vs. Washington Nationals (0-0)
March 30, 2023 1:05 pm EDT
The Line: Washington Nationals +165 / Atlanta Braves -244; Over/Under: 7.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals meet Thursday in MLB Opening Day action from Nationals Park. Atlanta managed a 101-61 overall run last year, ultimately taking the National League East title. The Braves lost to Philadelphia in the Division Series, however. As for Washington, they had a rough campaign last season with a 55-107 run. That would leave the Nationals in the basement of the NL East standings. Check back all season long for free MLB picks at Sports Chat Place.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves entered 2022 as the defending World Series champions but started out slow. Atlanta picked up steam in June however and eventually took the NL East championship for the fifth straight year. The playoffs were a disappointment however, with a four-game loss to Philadelphia in the Division Series.
As the Thursday starter, the Braves will go with Max Fried. In 2022 Fried was 14-7 overall with a 2.48 ERA. He struck out 170 batters in 185.1 innings over 30 starts. Fried went 4-0 across four starts and 14.1 total innings this spring, pitching to a clean 0.00 ERA.
Washington Nationals
Over on the Washington side, they had a forgettable run in 2022 at just 55-107 overall. The Nationals lost more than 100 games for the first time since 2009 and the fifth time in franchise history. Needless to say, they finished in last place in the division and will be eager to move on.
In the Thursday starting pitcher slot, the Nationals are sending out Patrick Corbin. In 2022 Corbin had a rough 6-19 record with a 6.31 ERA in 31 games. Over 152.2 innings he struck out 128 batters. Corbin went 1-3 in Spring Training with a 4.50 ERA in five starts.
The Braves are 79-37 in their last 116 overall and 79-37 in their last 116 on grass. Atlanta is 1-4 in their last five versus the NL East.
Meanwhile, the Nats are 16-35 in their last 51 after an off day and 16-37 in their last 53 Thursday games. Washington is 15-37 in their last 52 at home.
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’ll probably stay with Atlanta in this one. Also probably not touching it, though. The line is a bit too thick to mess with. The Braves enter 2023 with lofty aspirations; anything less than a division title would be a letdown, and the team needs to make some noise in the playoffs as well. The good news is that Atlanta boasts one of the better offenses in the league with at least a couple of MVP candidates on the roster. The Braves also have a great pitching staff which will be tough for most teams to contend with (on paper, at least). As for Washington, they’re in rebuild mode so we’ll see plenty of promising young faces on the field this season. There’s really nowhere for the Nationals to go but up, so they should exhibit a lot of improvements in 2023. If all goes well, Washington will be a real contender in a couple of years. For now however, this is still the Braves’ game to win.
