Prediction: Atlanta Braves VS Washington Nationals 2025-05-22 18

The Atlanta Braves, trying not to get swept by the Washington Nationals - how the mighty have fallen. The Braves are listed as -153 favorites, which is a pretty reasonable price considering they have a 55.6% win rate when favored. MacKenzie Gore is on the mound for the Nationals, and while his 3.67 ERA is respectable, I'm not convinced he can shut down the Braves' offense, which features Matt Olson and his 10 home runs.

AJ Smith-Shawver is starting for the Braves, and I'm expecting him to have a solid outing. The Nationals have gone over the total in 22 of their 48 games, but I think the under is the way to go here. The Braves have a decent bullpen, and I don't see this game turning into a slugfest.

My best bet for this game is the Atlanta Braves -1.5 at 2.05 odds. I think they'll come out on top, and their offense will be too much for the Nationals to handle. Gore will keep it close, but the Braves' bullpen will shut the door in the late innings.

As for the total, I'm leaning towards the under 8.5 at 1.87 odds. While both teams have shown the ability to score runs, I think the pitching will prevail in this one. Smith-Shawver and Gore will keep the game in check, and the bullpens will take care of the rest.

So, there you have it - Braves -1.5 and under 8.5. Let's see if the Braves can avoid the sweep and get back on track.

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