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The Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers will conclude their brief two-game series Wednesday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Nationals-Dodgers prediction and pick we have laid out below.
This is one of the most opposite matchups in baseball. Washington owns baseball's worst record at 34-65, a distant 27 games back in the NL East and is open for business come the trade deadline.
Los Angeles on the other hand is 64-32, the second-best mark in the league. The Dodgers are one of baseball's best when playing at home, with a 34-15 mark.
Here are the Nationals-Dodgers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Dodgers Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (+114)
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-137)
Over: 9 (-102)
Under: 9 (-120)
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Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
Seemingly nothing has gone right for the Nationals this year, but they did manage an 8-3 victory last night over LA, securing at least a series victory. Patrick Corbin, the subject of recent trade speculation, will take the mound with his 6.02 ERA. Corbin has been better of late, with a 4.93 ERA in his last seven starts, striking out more than a batter per inning. Of all qualified pitchers, Corbin's ERA is dead last in the league. The glimmer of hope here is Corbin's recent performance bucking the trend of his overall season. The Nationals' bullpen, while weak overall, has had some solid individual performances, with Tanner Rainey saving 12 games and Carl Edwards registering a 2.95 ERA.
Juan Soto and Josh Bell are still Nationals for the time being. That is the good news. The bad news is, outside of those two, there has not been much production in this lineup. Soto has bashed 20 home runs and Bell has added 13 of his own. Those two account for more than a third of the team's 77 home runs, the third lowest total in the league. Still, the Nationals have scored 12 runs in this series, and momentum is squarely on their side heading into the finale this afternoon. The best hope is Corbin turning back the clock coupled with strong outputs from Soto and Bell.
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
Simply, Los Angeles is one of the best teams in baseball, in every way possible. Andrew Heaney, owner of a sparkling 0.59 ERA in three starts, will make his first start since June 19. Twice Heaney was sent to the Injured List with shoulder issues. Heaney likely will not be extended in this one but can provide excellent work if he picks up where he left off. Los Angeles' 3.38 bullpen ERA is good for sixth-best in baseball, so the game will be in good hands once Heaney reaches his pitch count. Relying on their bullpen is a fine strategy for Los Angeles in this one.
Offensively, Los Angeles has one of the most feared lineups in the league. Their 491 runs scored ranks second in the league, while they are tied for sixth with 126 home runs. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, and Will Smith all have an OPS north of .800, with Freeman's sitting at .934, seventh in the league. Eight Dodgers hitters have hit double-digit doubles, highlighted by Freeman's 32, second-best in MLB. This offense should give opposing teams fits but has only scored four runs this series.
Final Nationals-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
It's easy to pass off the first two games as a fluke. Look for Los Angeles to break out in this one.
Final Nationals-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles -1.5 (-137), over 9 (-102)
