It is the start of a weekend interleague series as the Houston Astros visit the Washington Nationals. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with an Astros-Nationals prediction, pick, and how-to watch.

The Astros come into the game sitting at 6-14 on the year. It has been a struggle as of late. After being swept by the Kansas City Royals, the Astros rebounded to take two of three from the Rangers. Still, they would spend their last series being swept by the Braves. Only one game was close, as the Astros lost by just one in the series finales.

Meanwhile, the Nationals are 8-10 on the year and just took two of three from the Dodgers. After getting up 2-0 in the first inning against the Dodgers, they would not allow a single run in the game and shut Los Angeles out.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Astros-Nationals Odds

Houston Astros: -1.5 (-105)

Moneyline: -172

Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-114)

Moneyline: +144

Over: 9 (-110)

Under: 9 (-110)

How to Watch Astros vs. Nationals

Time: 6:45 PM ET/ 3:45 PM PT

TV: SCHN/MASN

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Astros Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Astros are 14th in the majors in runs scored while sitting third in batting average. The Astros are also fourth in on-base percentage while sitting fifth in slugging. Jose Altuve has been amazing this year. He is hitting .388 with a .462 on-base percentage. He has eight doubles and five home runs, leading to seven RBIs. Further, he has scored 5 times this year. Meanwhile, Yordan Alvarez is driving in plenty of runs. He has 13 RBIs with the help of three doubles and five home runs. He has scored 14 times as well this year while hitting .289 with a .386 on-base percentage.

Also hitting well is Kyle Tucker. Tucker is hitting .260 with a .374 on-base percentage. He has five doubles and five home runs, leading to 15 RBIs and 2 runs scored this year. He has also stolen two bases this year. Jeremy Pena has also stolen two bases. He is hitting .329 this year with a .361 on-base percentage. He has four doubles and two home runs, leading to eight RBIs and ten runs scored.

The Astros' pitching is 29th in team ERA, 28th in WHIP, and 27th in opponent batting average. It will be Justin Verlander on the mound for the Astors, making his first start of the year as he comes on the IL.

Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Nationals are 25th in the majors in runs scored while sitting 21st in batting average. The Nationals are also 20th in on-base percentage while sitting 19th in slugging. Jesse Winker has been great for the Nationals this year. He is hitting .364 on the year with a .485 on-base percentage. He has scored 12 times while also hitting six doubles, two home runs, and driving in five runs this year. Winker has also stolen two bases. CJ Abrams has also been solid. He is hitting .295 on the year with a .358 on-base percentage. He has three stolen bases this year and ten runs scored. Further, Abrams has hit three doubles, two triples, and five home runs, leading to his 11 RBIs.

Lane Thomas also has ten RBIs this year. He is hitting just .192 this year, but he has a .250 on-base percentage. Thomas has two home runs and scored five times, plus stolen eight bases. Joey Gallo is also showing some power. He has three home runs, second on the team this year, to go along with four doubles. Still, Gallo is hitting just .136 with five RBIs and seven runs scored.

The Nationals' pitching is 21st in team ERA, 27th in WHIP, and 29th in opponent batting average. It will be Trevor Williams on the mound in this game. He is 2-0 this year with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Last time out, he gave up three runs in 5.1 innings and took the no-decision. Current members of the Astros have 46 career at-bats against Williams, hitting .326 with a .426 on-base percentage. They also have three home runs and eight RBIs.

Final Astros-Nationals Prediction & Pick

The Astros have not played well this year at all. Still, the Nationals are not the most talented team. This game could come down to pitching. While the Astros' offense has been solid, they have been shut down at times this year. If Trevor Williams can shut them down just a little, the Nationals will keep this close. Further, there is no indication of how Justin Verlander is pitching. Coming to the IL at the age of 41 will be tough. With all of that, take the Nationals to cover. in this one.

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Final Astros-Nationals Prediction & Pick: Nationals +1.5 (-114)