Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals Picks and Prediction - September 17, 2025
Non-contending National League East rivals wrap up a three-game set on Thursday and we’ll get you prepared with team breakdowns, and Braves vs. Nationals predictions. Atlanta (68-83, 4th in N.L. East) will run rookie RHP Hurston Waldrep (4-1, 2.78 ERA) out to the mound for the start. Washington (62-89, 5th in N.L. East) will call upon fellow rookie RHP Brad Lord (5-8, 4.21 ERA) to get the game rolling with a 4:05 EST first pitch from Nationals Park. Don’t go down on strikes! Get all of our top MLB Predictions and increase your bankroll!
(This game was published prior to the conclusion of Tuesday’s games.)
Braves days are numbered
The Braves are next up on the chopping block in the National League, though their current three-game winning streak has allowed them to stave off elimination for a few more days. Heading into Tuesday night, their elimination number was at three games. The team plated 25 runs in their three-game winning streak and this season, they’ve scored 663 runs over 151 games, eighth in the National League. Atlanta’s offense was hitting .244 and had 172 home runs, sixth most in the N.L. Their 522 walks were the third most in the league and 1,282 strikeouts were fourth most.
Over the last week, Atlanta’s pitching staff had a 4.67 ERA over six games. This season, they have a 4.44 team ERA, 12th in the National League, with a 1.31 WHIP and .247 opponents' batting average. Their starters were 40-57 through 151 games with a 4.56 ERA and the bullpen had 3 0saves, 28 wins and a 4.27 ERA. Hurston Waldrep makes his eighth career start and ninth appearance, with the team going 6-2 under his guidance. He suffered his worst big league outing last time out, allowing eight earned runs, eight hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. Prior to that, the 23-year-old allowed just six runs in seven starts. The right-hander has allowed one home run in each of his last three starts. Teams hit .216 against Waldrep with 18 walks and 42 strikeouts over 45.1 innings.
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Quick hits
- In the first game on Tuesday Matt Olson hit a home run for the fourth straight game and seventh time in his last 10 games.
- Ronald Acuna Jr. had three hits in Tuesday’s game one, hit third multi-hit effort in his last five games.
- In 13 games with Atlanta, Ha-Seong Kim is hitting .304 with six RBIs, six runs and four walks.
- Jurickson Profar’s home run on Tuesday extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Nationals playing out the string
Following their loss in game one on Tuesday, the Nationals had dropped two straight and three of their last four games. Offense has been down over the last week, with the team scoring 20 runs and hitting .215 over their last seven games. This season, the team ranks 12th in the National League with a .244 batting average and 643 runs scored. Washington hit 143 home runs, also 12th, and was fourth in the N.L. with 123 stolen bases. Nats’ batters struck out 1,231 times through 151 games while drawing 425 walks, the second fewest in the league.
Nats’ pitching had a 5.32 team ERA through 151 games, the second-worst mark in the National League. They have a 1.44 WHIP and 1,150 strikeouts, and opponents were hitting .267 against them. Washington starters have a 35-70 record with a 5.23 ERA, and their relievers had 33 saves, 27 wins and a 5.46 ERA. This is the 17th start of the season for Brad Lord, who has also made 29 relief appearances. As a starter, the 25-year-old is 4-7 with a 4.93 ERA. Last time out, he allowed three runs and seven hits over six innings against the Pirates and did not factor into the result. Lord faced the Braves three times, all in relief, and allowed two runs, seven hits and two walks over five innings.
Quick hits
- In the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, James Wood went 0-5 with four strikeouts, bringing his season total to an MLB-high 209.
- After collecting two hits in game one on Tuesday, Daylen Lyle had hit safely in four straight games and 15 of his last 16.
- In just 13 September games, Josh Bell has four home runs and 15 RBIs, the most runs he batted in over any month this season.
- Five of C.J. Abrams' 11 hits in September have been doubles, but he’s hitting just .220 with one RBI in 13 games during the month.
Braves vs. Nationals Picks
Spread Pick for Braves vs. Nationals
- Braves -152 (5 units)
Through the first eight meetings of the season between the division rivals, the Braves had a 5-3 advantage. Lord has been a better option for the Nats out of the bullpen this season. As a starter, he has a 4.93 ERA, and teams are hitting .275 against him in that role. He has also been bad at home, going 1-4 with a 5.16 ERA in 23 games. The Atlanta offense has been a Top 5 unit in the N.L. over the past week of play and they know they can keep momentum in their corner with this matchup. Their starter, Waldrep, has some makeup work to pass in after flunking his last exam. Other than that last start, the rookie hurler has been sensational, and he has not been phased on the road, going 2-0 with a 1.19 ERA in four outings.
Take the Braves.
Over/Under Pick for Braves vs. Nationals
- Over 8.5 (5 units)
The first two games of this series went 1-0-1 against the over as the teams combined to average 11.5 runs per game. This matchup does feature top and bottom-half National League offense in terms of scoring, but that doesn’t close off anything at all. Atlanta’s offense has been rolling, scoring at least six runs in three straight games. They haven’t been shut out since July 30th. Washington scored at least three runs in three straight and four of their last five games. In the last seven meetings, at least one side put up five runs or more. The over is 2-0-1 in the last three meetings.
Take the over.
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