Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves MLB Picks and Predictions: May 23, 2026
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Sat May 23, 2026, 10:12 am ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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The Atlanta Braves might be the hottest team in baseball, and they'll look to continue those winning ways tonight as they host the Washington Nationals. It took 11 innings to get the win last night, but the Braves walked it off in extras to extend their lead in the NL East to double digits. They have now won four of five against Washington this season. Will the Nationals rally tonight for an upset fueled by revenge? Tap in with our favorite MLB picks below.
Check out the best odds on the market at our top online sportsbooks.
Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves MLB Betting Insights
James Wood and the Nationals have lost three straight games to Atlanta this season
After winning last night, the Braves extended their season lead over the Nationals. In their previous meeting, the Braves won three out of four in Washington D.C. about a month ago. They also extended their current winning streak to four games, while the Nationals have dropped two straight. The Braves are also 10-3 in their last 13 overall.
Atlanta has the biggest divisional lead in the MLB at the moment, leading the Philadelphia Phillies by 10.5 games before the end of May. This team leads the MLB in run differential by far, and are 17-8 at home this season. Do we see a world where the Nationals can pull this off? Especially with Jake Irvin on the bump?
Matchup Information – Nationals vs. Braves – May 23
- Venue & Location: Truist Park (Atlanta, GA)
- Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
- First Pitch: 4:10 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: MLB.tv
Nationals vs. Braves Pitching Matchup
- Washington Nationals: RHP Jake Irvin (1-4, 5.79 ERA, 1.48 WHIP)
- Atlanta Braves: RHP Grant Holmes (3-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.27 WHIP)
Nationals vs. Braves Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of our friends at Lucky Rebel Sportsbook, as of May 23, 2026, at 9:43 a.m. eastern. Sign up today and get a $1,250 deposit bonus as well as 50 slot spins immediately in your account and start betting at the sportsbook with the most competitive odds in the industry, and a wide variety of unique markets not offered anywhere else.
Run Line
- Nationals +1.5 (-125)
- Braves -1.5 (+105)
Moneyline
- Nationals +159
- Braves -194
Total
- Over 8.5 (-115)
- Under 8.5 (-105)
Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves MLB Picks
Matt Olson leads the Braves with 14 home runs and 42 RBIs so far this MLB season
Nationals vs. Braves Prediction: Braves Win and Cover, Over 8.5
Best Bet: Braves -1.5 (+105) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
I'll be backing the Braves to win by two runs, something they have done in three of their four wins over Washington this season. Jake Irvin has been getting ripped apart all year long, and the Braves already did it to him once.
Irvin allowed three earned runs in just five innings on three hits, including a home run. However, he has allowed at least two earned runs in four straight outings since that game. Plus he's given up that many in nine of his 10 starts this year. Notably his ERA and WHIP both improve on the road, but at Truist Park I think that might change.
As for Grant Holmes, he's coming off pitching six shutout innings to the Boston Red Sox at home. Now, the Nationals have had some better hitting statistics over the past couple of weeks. I'm choosing to believe that is unsustainable. However, the Braves are sixth in the MLB in batting average over the last two weeks, hitting .253. Considering they hit .266 overall, a little regression doesn't worry me, and I've got plenty of faith in this team to produce enough runs at home to cover this number.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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