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The Washington Nationals hit the road to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Nationals-Pirates prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Nationals-Pirates Projected Starters
Brad Lord vs. Paul Skenes
Brad Lord (0-0) with a 1.80 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 5.0 innings pitched, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts, .250 oBA
Last Start: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: No Decision, 3 innings pitched, 2 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
Away Splits: 2 appearances, 0.00 ERA, 2 innings pitched, 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Paul Skenes (1-1) with a 3.44 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 18.1 innings pitched, 3 walks, 20 strikeouts, .179 oBA
Last Start: vs. St. Louis Cardinals: Loss, 6 innings pitched, 6 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Home Splits: Last start was only home start.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Pirates Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-118)
Moneyline: +184
Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -220
Over: 7 (-112)
Under: 7 (-108)
How to Watch Nationals vs. Pirates
Article Continues Below
Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT
TV: MASN, SportsNet Pittsburgh
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win
Brad Lord is making just his second start of the season, but his first outing was solid. He was able to shut down the great offense off the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Pirates are a little bit worse than Los Angeles at the plate. This season, Pittsburgh is the only team batting under .200. Along with that, they have the lowest slugging percentage and the lowest OPS. The Pirates do not hit the ball well, and Lord should be able to take advantage of that Monday night.
The Nationals hit the ball decently well. They are 12th in the MLB in batting average, and they do a pretty good job hitting for power. Now, Paul Skenes is going to be a very tough matchup for the Nationals, but they have a tough offense. The Nationals are 11th in the MLB in both hard-hit percentage and barrel percentage. Washington has to do a good job finding the sweet spot and putting pressure on the Pirates' defense. If they can do that, the Nationals will have a chance to cover the spread at the very least.
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
Paul Skenes. That is all that needs to be said. This is the Major Leagues, so he will give up some hits. However, Skenes is one of the hardest pitchers to hit off of in the league. His xERA is 1.45, he has a very high chase rate, whiff rate, strikeout rate, and ground ball percentage. The right-hander keeps the ball in the yard, and opponents struggle to get things going off him. If Skenes just pitches his game, he is going to shutdown the Nationals Monday night.
The Nationals just lost two of three games at the Miami Marlins over the weekend. Along with that, Washington has won just one game on the road this season. In fact, they are batting just .214 on the road, and they struggle to hit for any power. Additionally, the Nationals score just 4.0 runs per game away from home. Skenes and the Pirates should be able to keep the Nationals to a low score and win the game Monday night.
Final Nationals-Pirates Prediction & Pick
The Pirates' lack of offense is what concerns me. I think Skenes is going to be just a little bit to dominant, though. I will take the Pirates to cover the spread in this game.
Final Nationals-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Pirates -1.5 (-102)
