Braves vs. Nationals Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for Opening Day (Atlanta Dominates Pitching Mismatch)

Braves vs. Nationals Game Info

• Date: Thursday, March 30, 2023
• Time: 1:06 p.m. ET
• Venue: Nationals Park -- Washington, D.C.
• Coverage: Bally Sports and MASN

The 2023 MLB season gets underway on Thursday with an Opening Day matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals. These NL East rivals are expected to finish on opposite ends of the standings in 2023 with Atlanta shooting for a sixth straight division title and Washington just trying to avoid last place.

The Braves will have a clear pitching advantage with Max Fried going up against Patrick Corbin, but can the Nationals pull off the upset at home?

Braves vs. Nationals Odds & Spread

• All MLB betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: ATL: (-260) | WSH: (+215)
• Spread: ATL: -1.5 (-142) | WSH: +1.5 (+118)
• Total: 7.5 -- Over: (-118) | Under: (-104)

Not surprisingly, the Braves enter this game as clear road favorites on the spread and moneyline at FanDuel Sportsbook. This afternoon matchup also features a projected total of 7.5 runs, which is about average for Thursday's slate.

Braves vs. Nationals Betting Trends

• The Braves are 41-16 in their last 57 games against the Nationals.
• The Nationals are 12-48 in their last 60 games against the NL East.
• The Under is 5-1 in their last six meetings.
• The Over is 9-3 in their last 12 meetings at Nationals Park.

Braves vs. Nationals Prediction & Pick

On paper, this is probably the most lopsided matchup of the Opening Day slate. The Braves are a juggernaut coming off a 101-win season, while the Nationals posted MLB's worst record last year at 55-107.

Both teams are starting lefties on the mound, but that's where the similarities between them end. Fried has been one of the best pitchers in baseball lately, going 35-14 with a 2.68 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP over the last three seasons combined. Corbin has been one of the worst, however, going 17-42 with a 5.82 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP during the same span.

Look for Corbin to get lit up by a potent Atlanta lineup that ranked second in the NL in runs scored and OPS last year as this game turns into a one-sided affair.

Final Score Prediction: Braves: 7 | Nationals: 1

Braves vs. Nationals Best Bet

The question isn't who will win, but by how much? The Nationals have been terrible against the NL East lately, especially the Braves. They're 12-48 in their last 60 games against divisional opponents and are 16-41 in their last 57 games against Atlanta.

With the Braves' prolific offense poised to tee off on Corbin, backing Atlanta to win by multiple runs seems like a safe call.

Bet: Atlanta Braves -1.5 (-142)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.