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The Washington Nationals take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Check out our MLB odds series for our Nationals Dodgers prediction and pick.
Josiah Gray gets the ball for the Nationals, while Mitch White makes the start for the Dodgers.
Josiah Gray has a 4.40 ERA. He has been mediocre for most of the year, but in June, Gray flourished, posting a 1.13 ERA for that particular month. In July, he has regressed, pitching to an ERA of more than seven runs. Whatever he did well in June, it simply didn't last. It has to be noted that Gray used to pitch for the Dodgers. This is obviously a very important and meaningful game for him. Given that teammate Paolo Espino surprised everyone by shutting down the Dodgers on Monday night in a 4-1 win, Gray should take the bump knowing that the Dodgers can be contained. It will be fascinating to see how he handles this particular challenge.
Mitch White has a 3.78 ERA. Clayton Kershaw is a superstar and a legend of the game. Walker Buehler is the high-end pitcher who is injured and hoping to make a comeback. Tony Gonsolin is the surprising Cy Young contender on the Dodger staff. Tyler Anderson has been terrific and sneaky-good for Los Angeles. Those four stories all generate bigger headlines than Mitch White, but this back-end starter has quietly put together a very solid season for manager Dave Roberts. White didn't pitch more than two innings in most of his early-season appearances for the Dodgers, but in late May, he began to go four to five innings on a more regular basis. The increased workload has made him a better pitcher. He doesn't overextend himself, and he manages games well. In his last eight starts going back to May 26, White has allowed 13 earned runs. Six of them, however, were in one game. Therefore, in seven of his last eight starts, White has allowed a combined total of seven earned runs, or an average of one earned run per start, normally five innings in length. If this is what White produces the rest of the season, the Dodgers will be very happy.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Nationals-Dodgers MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Dodgers Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-102)
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-118)
Over: 9 (-104)
Under: 9 (-118)
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Why The Nationals Could Cover the Spread
The Nationals shocked everyone on Monday when they gave Tony Gonsolin his first loss of the season. The Nationals strung together several two-out hits to plate four runs in the fifth. They shut down the Dodger bats, working out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the fifth. Washington contained Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers' big three. If Washington could do that one time on Monday, why can't the Nats do it again? Josiah Gray is a former Dodger. This game means a lot to him. Washington's pitching could prove to be surprisingly thorny for the Dodgers once again.
Why The Dodgers Could Cover the Spread
After playing a bad game on Monday and snapping their four-game winning streak after the All-Star break, one should fully expect the Dodgers to bounce back. Mitch White doesn't have to be spectacular. He just needs to limit damage from Washington. Dodger hitters should produce five or more runs and bring home a win.
Final Nationals-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
If the Nationals win back-to-back games against the Dodgers, you're out of luck. If the Dodgers win and you don't bet on them, you will wonder why you failed to make a play. Do the simple thing and don't overthink it.
Final Nationals-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5
