Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves Pick 8/19/20

Washington Nationals (9-12) vs. Atlanta Braves (14-11)

When: 7 p.m., Wednesday, August 19

Where: Truist Park, Atlanta

Starting Pitchers: Erick Fedde (1-1, 2.55 ERA, 1.53 WHIP) vs. Kyle Wright (0-3, 7.20 ERA, 2.20 WHIP)

Moneyline: WAS +113/ATL -123 (Bovada – 50% Real Cash Bonus up to $250!)

Runline: Nationals +1.5/Braves -1.5

Total: 10

Building Block

Erick Fedde came up big in his most recent appearance, which actually came from the Nats’ beleaguered bullpen. Fedde has been a reliever for most of the season, but against Baltimore, he came out of the bullpen when Stephen Strasburg got injured and had to exit in the second inning. Fedde allowed just two hits in 5.1 innings of work, which allowed the Nats to ease past the Orioles in a 15-3 rout where they were never threatened.

What’s unclear is how long the Nationals want to go with Fedde in this matchup. The bullpen is definitely not one of Washington’s strengths, but Fedde hasn’t gone past four innings in any of his previous four appearances this season. Most likely, the Nats will ask him to get through the lineup twice and hope that they’ve built a big enough lead to hang on for the ride.

None of the Wright Stuff

Kyle Wright’s problem is simple: he’s got to stop issuing free passes to opposing hitters. In his last start, he made it through just three innings, and that was because Wright walked six Marlins on his way to an 8-2 loss. Through his young career, Wright has averaged just under a strikeout an inning, but he’s also averaged just under a walk an inning. When you essentially start every inning with a baserunner, you’re going to run into problems, and Wright certainly has, giving up 15 earned runs in the young season.

However, Wright might be the right pitcher at the right time in this situation because the Nationals are not known for being patient hitters. Washington has worked out just 60 walks on the season, which ranks 26th in the majors. If Wright can get the Nats’ hitters to get themselves out, he’s got an excellent chance to go deep into the game.

Road Warriors

For whatever reason, Washington has played better away from the District than on its home turf. For the year, the Nats are just 2-8 at home while sporting a healthy 7-4 record on the road. The Braves, meanwhile, have no qualms about playing at home. They’re 8-3 this year at Truist Park and will bring up top prospect Christian Pache to make his major league debut in this contest.

That said, it’s been the Nats who have had the better of the play in this series. If not for a bullpen meltdown in the series opener, Washington would be looking at a sweep.

Betting Trends

• The Nationals are 12-2 in their past 14 road games against a team with a winning record.
• The Nationals are 9-3 in their past 12 as a road underdog.
• The Braves are 10-4 in their past 14 against the NL East.
• The Braves have dropped four straight after scoring five or more the previous game.
• The over is 7-0 in the Nationals’ past seven games.
• The over is 5-1-1 in the Braves’ past seven against a right-hander.
• The under is 6-2 in the teams’ past eight meetings in Atlanta.

Weather Report

It should be a great night for baseball, with temperatures at 81 degrees and a slight chance of rain, with a slight breeze blowing to the east at 7 miles per hour.

Dan’s Pick

I really don’t trust Wright at all, and the Nationals have a quality road record and have been playing a lot better as of late. There’s always the issue with the Washington bullpen, but I’ve got a much bigger issue with the Braves’ starter than I do with the back end.

Honestly, I’d feel safer backing Washington through the first five at plus money and not having to deal with the bullpen, but for the entire contest, I’m still willing to take the risk and go for the live dog. Give me the Nats. Does your bookie make you nervous? You should have ZERO tolerance for slow payouts/stiffs! Make the switch to Bookmaker Sportsbook and end that noise! They’ve been around for over 20 years and have the fastest payouts online!