Subscribe
Follow Us
The Nationals will travel to Miami to face the Marlins on Saturday! These two teams have started the season playing very similarly. They have big wins but have struggled to maintain them and have been inconsistent. This is game two of the series that starts on Friday. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Nationals-Marlins prediction and pick.
Nationals-Marlins Projected Starters
Trevor Williams vs. Sandy Alcantara
Trevor Williams (1-0) with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed three runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts through five innings.
Away Splits: (0-0) 5.40 ERA
Sandy Alcantara (1-0) with a 3.72 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed two runs on three hits with with zero walks and four strikeouts through five innings
Home Splits: (1-0) 3.72 ERA
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Marlins Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-194)
Moneyline: +116
Miami Marlins: -1.5 (+160)
Moneyline: -136
Over: 7.5 (-105)
Under: 7.5 (-115)
How to Watch Nationals vs. Marlins
Time: 4:10 pm ET/1:10 pm PT
Article Continues Below
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida/Mid-Atlantic Sports Network
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Nationals struggled toward a 71-91 record last year, and they have won four of their last five games to get to a 5-7 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., James Wood, and Paul DeJong are solid in the batting rotation. MacKenzie Gore and Mitchell Parker have been the two best pitchers for the Nationals this season. The Nationals have talent, but consistency will be a significant issue all year. This would be a good start to gain some momentum against the Marlins.
The Nationals are starting Williams on the mound, and he has a 1-0 record, a 5.40 ERA, and a 1.70 WHIP. Williams has allowed six runs on 15 hits with two walks and nine strikeouts through 10 innings across two starts. He also has a K/BB ratio of 4.5 through both of his starts. Williams' starts have been a mixed bag, and the Nationals went 1-1 in their last two games. Williams does have a good matchup against the Marlins, so this could be intriguing to watch.
The offense for the Nationals is in the middle of the pack of the MLB with a .235 after finishing last season with a .243 batting average. Ruiz, Abrams, and Wood have stood out the most for the Nationals on offense this season. Ruiz leads in batting average at .333, in OBP at .395, and in total hits with 13. Then, Abrams leads in home runs with four, and Wood leads in RBI with 10. The offensive improvement is something to watch, but the matchup against Alcantara will be difficult, especially in Miami.
Why The Marlins Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Marlins were among the worst teams in the MLB last season, with a 62-100 record, but they have been solid this season with a 6-6 record. They are 2-3 in their last five games. The offense has been around average for the Marlins last season and into this season. The pitching has been solid compared to the previous season, especially after how much they struggled on the mound. Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards, Griffin Conine, Matt Mervis, and Kyle Stowers have stood out despite their offensive struggles. Max Meyer, Connor Gillespie, and Sandy Alcantara have been solid for the Marlins in this pitching staff. The Marlins seem better than last season, but it remains to be seen by how much.
The Marlins are starting Alcantara on the mound. He has a 1-0 record, a 3.72 ERA, and a 0.93 WHIP. He has allowed four runs on five hits with four walks and 11 strikeouts through 9.2 innings across his two starts. He also has a K/BB ratio of 2.8. He has helped the Marlins win both of his starts. He provides a massive challenge for a Nationals offense that does not have a lot that jumps out this season.
The Marlins' offense has struggled this season. They were 14th in team batting average at .244 last season and have a .238 average this season. Lopez, Mervis, Lopez, and Stowers have stood out on the offense the most for the Marlins. Lopez leads in batting average at .283 and in total hits with 13. Mervis leads in home runs with three, Lopez in RBI with seven, and Stowers in OBP at .383. They should be able to play well against Williams after his inconsistent start to the season, so this will be an intriguing matchup to watch in this game.
Final Nationals-Marlins Prediction & Pick
These teams are very similar, and I can't see either team pulling away all that much. The Nationals should cover and keep this close, but I think the Marlins will win, thanks to Alcantara on the mound.
Final Nationals-Marlins Prediction & Pick: Washington Nationals +1.5 (-194)
