The Los Angeles Dodgers are catching fire. They've won their last five games, with all of those games coming against playoff-caliber opponents. That's not exactly what the Washington Nationals want to hear, as they have to face the Dodgers in a four-game series beginning Thursday night. Both the Dodgers and the Nationals are within two games of their respective division leads, so this series holds a lot of weight. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Dodgers-Nationals prediction and pick.
Let's see how the bookmakers have set the lines for tonight's game.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Nationals Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers ML (-134)
Washington Nationals ML (+124)
Over 9 1/2 runs (-103)
Under 9 1/2 runs (-117)
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
Before their winning streak, the Dodgers looked like they were struggling a little bit from the mound. That has certainly turned around as of late, as Los Angeles hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of their last five games. Starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin will hope to help continue that streak Thursday night.
Gonsolin hasn't pitched much this season, but he's pitched fairly well in his limited appearances. He's mainly been used in a sort of opener role, never going more than four innings pitched. He owns an ERA of 2.77 and a WHIP of 1.54 on the year. The righty also hasn't given up more than one run in any of his appearances on the year.
It helps that the Nationals struggle against right-handed pitching. As a team, they have a lower batting average, slugging percentage, OBP, and OPS. Washington is also a worse offensive team when playing at night, owning worse statistics across the board when they play an evening game.
The Dodgers haven't been great swinging the bat as of late, so they'll probably be excited to see that Patrick Corbin is pitching for the Nationals. Corbin has struggled all year, sporting an ERA of 5.33 to go along with a WHIP of 1.37. The lefty has faced the Dodgers once already, giving up six runs in four innings. The Los Angeles hitters have to be excited about this matchup, as it's a great opportunity to get the offense going again.
Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
While the Dodgers have caught everyone's attention by winning six straight, the Nationals have their own little winning streak going. They've rattled off four consecutive wins, with the offense looking strong in each one of them. Gonsolin isn't a particularly scary matchup for them, especially since they get to face him at home. Washington is significantly better when they play at home, notching a better batting average, OBP, and OPS.
Gonsolin's inability to work deep into games will also help the Nationals. They should be able to face an inconsistent Los Angeles bullpen for a majority of the game, giving them a chance to continue that offensive hot streak.
While having Patrick Corbin on the mound may not inspire confidence, there's some reason to believe he can have a good outing. The Dodgers have struggled offensively lately, winning off of the strength of their pitching. They are also far worse against left-handed pitching, scoring far worse stats in every single major category against lefties as opposed to righties.
Final Dodgers-Nationals Prediction & Pick
With both teams coming into this game pretty hot, it should be a close one. But the Dodgers have looked more solid than the Nationals recently, and are coming off of a rest day. Washington has played nine consecutive games coming into this one, and I think fatigue will play a factor and the Dodgers outlast the Nationals in a close game.
FINAL PICK: Los Angeles Dodgers ML (-134)
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