Nationals vs. Braves: Matt Olson steps into Thursday’s slate with one of the top hitter matchups on the board. His home trends are heating up, and the Braves slugger draws a dream spot against a struggling Nationals arm. All signs point to Olson setting the tone early.
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Last Month: 100-162-2 (+2.48u)
Last Week: 21-37 (+4.3u)
Nationals vs. Braves Odds

Will we see some Matt Olson magic this afternoon?
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Run Line
Nationals: +1.5 (-106)
Braves: -1.5 (-114)
Total
Over: 9 (-104)
Under: 9 (-116)
Moneyline
Nationals: +184
Braves: -205
Nationals vs Braves Best Bet
First game of the day, and Braves first baseman Matt Olson has my full attention. He enters today with the third-highest matchup rating on Batters-Box.com. Graded with an elite rating, Olson has incredible trends when labeled elite: he records at least one hit 66% of the time, goes over this prop 37% of the time, and hits a home run in 17% of his games. That is over a 146-game elite rating sample.
Now back at home, Olson’s trends are even better—72% hit rate, over 1.5 total bases 41% of the time, and over 1.5 hits+runs+RBIs in 60% of those games.
Today, Olson faces Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams, who comes in with the fourth-worst pitcher rating. He holds poor averages in hitter matchup wOBA, ISO, and strikeout percentage. The 33-year-old has a 5.88 ERA and 1.57 WHIP this season. On the road, that ERA jumps to 6.30, with opponents batting .349 against him.
Williams leans heavily on his slider, throwing it 40% of the time. It is his only pitch that grades slightly above league average—by a literal hair. The rest of his arsenal? Well below average, per FanGraphs. His average pitch value sits at -1.29.
With Olson playing his best baseball at home this year—batting .237 with a .792 OPS—and coming off a one-hit night following an 0-for-4 on Tuesday, I think he is a strong candidate to kick off the day on a high note.
Best Bet: Matt Olson Over 1.5 Total Bases (+105) odds via BetOnline
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