Braves vs. Nationals Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers, Prop Bets for Wednesday, Sept. 2

A mini two-game series between the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals comes to a close on Wednesday afternoon, and the Braves are looking to bounce back from a 9-5 loss on Tuesday.

Atlanta now has just a three-game lead over the surging Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, and it certainly doesn’t want to end up in a wild card spot after leading the division basically all season.

Oddsmakers have the Braves favored in Wednesday’s matchup, but the Nationals (nine runs on Tuesday) could get star outfielder James Wood back off the injured list to bolster one of the best offenses in MLB.

Grant Holmes (3.71 ERA) is on the mound for Atlanta – his third appearance against the Nats this season. He’ll take on 2024 fourth-round pick Jackson Kent, who is making his fifth start of the 2026 season. Kent had by far the best start of his career his last time out, tossing seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball in a win over Miami.

Can he keep the momentum going against the playoff-bound Braves?

Let’s take a look at the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for this series finale on Sept. 2.

Braves vs. Nationals Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Run Line

Braves -1.5 (+100)
Nationals +1.5 (-120)

Moneyline

Braves: -162
Nationals: +134

Total

9 (Over -117/Under -103)

Braves vs. Nationals Probable Pitchers

Atlanta: Grant Holmes (9-5, 3.71 ERA)
Washington: Jackson Kent (1-2, 5.59 ERA)

Braves vs. Nationals How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 2
Time: 1:05 p.m. EST
Venue: Nationals Park
How to Watch (TV): BravesVision, Nationals.TV
Braves record: 82-57
Nationals record: 67-74

Braves vs. Nationals Best MLB Prop Bets

Braves Best MLB Prop Bet

Grant Holmes UNDER 15.5 Outs Recorded (-136)

This season, Holmes has pitched pretty well for the Braves, posting an ERA under 4.00, but his expected numbers are a little shakier. He sits in just the 23rd percentile in expected ERA and the 30th percentile in expected batting average against, which makes this a tough matchup against an elite Washington offense.

The Nats have knocked Holmes out of back-to-back games before he could record a 16th out, and the right-hander has cleared 15.5 outs recorded in just eight of his 26 appearances overall this season.

While Holmes did clear this prop three times in the month of August, I’m going to fade him against a Washington offense that has scored the second-most runs in MLB and ranks in the top 10 in both batting average and OPS this season.

Braves vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

These NL East rivals combined for 14 runs in Tuesday’s series opener, and I expect another high-scoring affair on Wednesday afternoon.

Holmes has struggled a bit against Washington this season, allowing five runs in 9.2 innings of work (two starts), and he failed to make it through five frames in a matchup with the Nats in late July.

Washington’s offense is No. 2 in MLB in runs scored and third in Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+), so we know it’s capable of having a big game – just look at last night’s nine-run showing.

Plus, Washington has hit the OVER at the fifth-highest rate in MLB, including in 60.9 percent of its games at home.

While Kent is coming off the best start of his young career, he was tagged for three or more runs (all in less than five innings of work) in each of his first three career starts. The Braves are a tough matchup for the young lefty, as they rank ninth in runs scored and 11th in OPS so far this season.

Plus, the Washington bullpen (4.94 ERA) has been downright awful in 2026.

I expect more offensive fireworks on both sides to close out this two-game mini series.

Pick: OVER 9 (-117 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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