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The Nationals visit Toronto to play the Blue Jays in the third game of this series! The Blue Jays have had an inconsistent start to the season, while the Nationals need to get back on track with a win. This is an intriguing matchup for both teams in Toronto, where both need a win. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Nationals-Blue Jays prediction and pick.
Nationals-Blue Jays Projected Starters
MacKenzie Gore vs. Kevin Gausman
MacKenzie Gore (0-0) with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.17 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched six innings and allowed zero runs on one hit with zero walks and 13 strikeouts
Kevin Gausman (1-0) with a 3.00 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched six innings and allowed two runs on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts
Home Splits: 1-0 (3.00 ERA)
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Blue Jays Odds
Washington Nationals: -1.5 (+140)
Moneyline: -116
Toronto Blue Jays: +1.5 (-170)
Moneyline: -102
Over: 8.5 (+100)
Under: 8.5 (-122)
How to Watch Nationals vs. Blue Jays
Time: 3:07 pm ET/12:07 pm PT
TV: TSN/MASN
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Nationals struggled last year toward a 71-91 record, and they have lost three of their first four games and have a 1-3 record. Their bats were okay at best last season, and they have been average in the middle of the MLB. The Nationals have struggled on the mound, and not much has changed from last season to the start of this one. CJ Abrams, Nathaniel Lowe, Keibert Ruiz, Luis Garcia Jr., and Paul DeJong are solid in the batting rotation. This year, Trevor Williams, MacKenzie Gore, and Jake Irvin have all been solid on the mound. The Nationals have talent and can make some significant steps this season.
The Nationals are starting MacKenzie Gore on the mound, and he has a 0-0 record, a 0.00 ERA, and a 0.17 WHIP. In his first game, Gore allowed zero runs on just one hit with zero walks and 13 strikeouts. He also has a K/BB ratio of zero after his first start. Gore got off to a scorching hot start this season, but he has a big challenge against a Blue Jays offense that has also started red hot. This matchup is the biggest key to the game.
The offense for the Nationals is in the middle of the pack of the MLB with a .230 after finishing last season with a .243 batting average. Ruiz and Lowe lead the team in most essential batting categories this season. Ruiz leads in batting average at .429, in home runs at two, in OBP at .467, and in hits with six. Lowe then leads the team in RBI with five. The offensive improvement is something to watch, but the matchup against Gausman will be a giant challenge.
Why The Blue Jays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Blue Jays were unimpressive last season, with a 74-88 record, but they have started this season with a 3-2 record. They struggled behind the plate last season but have started this year red-hot. However, their pitching has not improved between the two seasons, at least not yet. Andres Gimenez, Anthony Santander, Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Will Wagner, and George Springer have all started the season playing very well on this offense. Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassit are the two pitchers that stand out the most for the Blue Jays after some offseason moves. They have talent, but the question remains if they can keep this momentum going all year, and they already won the first game in this series.
The Blue Jays are starting Kevin Gausman on the mound. He has a 1-0 record, a 3.00 ERA, and a 0.67 WHIP. He allowed two runs on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts in his first start. Gausman has been great for Toronto and will be a massive key for them on the mound all year. He has a solid matchup in this game against an underwhelming Toronto offense.
The Blue Jays' offense was just below average last season, with a .241 batting average, but this season, it has jumped to a team batting average of .269. Springer, Bichette, and Gimenez lead the team in most batting categories. Springer leads in batting average at .400 and in OBP at .471. Gimenez leads the team in home runs with three and in RBI at five. Finally, Bichette leads the team in total hits with seven. This offense has a giant challenge against Gore in this matchup, even at home. This is what will determine who wins.
Final Nationals-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick
The Nationals have the upper hand with Gore. The Blue Jays have been red-hot on offense, but pitching wins out. Gausman and Gore will turn this into a pitching duel, but I'm trusting Gore more after what he did in his first start of the year.
Final Nationals-Blue Jays Prediction & Pick: Washington Nationals -1.5 (+140)
