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The Washington Nationals will try and avoid the sweep as they take on the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Sunday. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Nationals-Brewers prediction and pick.
The Brewers defeated the Nationals 5-1 on Saturday. Milwaukee started hot when Andrew McCutchen slammed the first pitch he saw, a 93 MPH fastball from Patrick Corbin, into the seats in left for a home run. It was his third homer in 2022, and it gave the Brewers the 1-0 lead early. Later, the Nationals trailed 2-0 when Lane Thomas smacked a solo shot to left field. It was his second home run in 2022 and cut the deficit to 2-1. However, Milwaukee responded in the fifth when Luis Urias crushed a shot to straightaway center field for a solo shot to give the Brewers a 3-1 lead. Ultimately. the Brewers added two more runs to finish off the win.
Brandon Woodruff tossed six innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and eight strikeouts. Alternatively, Corbin went five innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits. The Brewers are 26-14 and in first place in the NL Central. Meanwhile, the Nationals are 13-28 and in fifth place in the NL East.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Nationals-Brewers MLB odds:
MLB Odds: Nationals-Brewers Odds
Nationals: +1.5 (+110)
Brewers: -1.5 (-132)
Over: 8.5 (-106)
Under: 8.5 (-114)
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Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
Washington will go with Aaron Sanchez on the hill. Sanchez is 2-3 with a 7.94 ERA in 2022. Additionally, he has an 8.78 ERA in May, highlighting that things are not getting better with him. Sanchez lasted 3 2/3 innings in his last start against the Miami Marlins, allowing four earned runs on eight hits. He walked three batters in the game and allowed a home run. Likewise, Sanchez has walked five batters in three games, and allowed a home run in four straight starts. He will need help from an offense that has struggled lately.
Juan Soto, Nelson Cruz, and Josh Bell lead a Nationals offense that has scored two or fewer runs in eight of the last 11 games. Soto is 2 for 16 on this road trip and has not been able to get the bat off the ball. Likewise, Cruz and Bell are also struggling to produce. Cruz went 1 for 3 yesterday and is in a 2 for 19 stretch. Additionally, Bell is in an ugly 0 for 14 stretch. Nothing is working right now for the Washington sluggers, and they need to figure out a way to get out of the slump.
The Nationals will cover the spread if Sanchez can give them a quality start. Also, Washington needs its bats to pick up and start scoring runs. The task will not be easy, as they face another Milwaukee starter that would be an ace on most teams.
Why The Brewers Could Cover The Spread
Milwaukee will go with Freddy Peralta on the hill. He is 3-1 with a 3.53 ERA. Peralta tossed seven shutout innings allowing two hits and striking out 10 in a win over the Atlanta Braves. Additionally, he has allowed only one earned run over two starts and four over four starts. Peralta is one of the hottest pitchers in baseball and gives the Brewers a chance to win every time he takes the mound. He has the support of an offense that is showing signs of life.
The Brewers are 14th in batting average, ninth in on-base percentage, sixth in runs, and fourth in home runs. Rowdy Tellez has been sensational, hitting nine home runs and 36 RBIs. Likewise, he is on a pace of 36-40 home runs and 140-145 RBIs if he keeps it up. Willy Adames and Hunter Renfroe have also smashed the baseball with nine each. Also, the Brewers have Christian Yelich, who has hit five home runs with 2o RBIs while scoring 28 runs.
The Brewers are finding ways to score in a multitude of ways, and it is helping them stack up wins. Their offense struggled earlier in the season but is slowly starting to pick it up. They have the tools to get to Sanchez early and put this game out of reach.
The Brewers will cover the spread if Peralta continues his pitching mastery and executes on the hill. Likewise, he will only need about four or five runs of support, which this offense can provide. Milwaukee has the tools to complete the sweep.
Final Nationals-Brewers Prediction & Pick
The Nationals have struggled, and the Brewers have dominated. The law of averages usually says that the Nationals are due for a win. However, they are playing so poorly that it is difficult to see them getting that victory against a team as talented as the Brewers. Expect Milwaukee to cover and sweep the floor, sending the Nationals back home.
Final Nationals-Brewers Prediction & Pick: Brewers: -1.5 (-132)
