The Washington Nationals take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. Check out our MLB odds series for our Nationals Diamondbacks prediction and pick.

Anibal Sanchez gets the call for the Nationals, while Madison Bumgarner takes the bump for the Diamondbacks.

Anibal Sanchez won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019. He pitched in the 2012 World Series with the Detroit Tigers. He is a well-traveled veteran who, at 38 years old, is trying to pursue the continuation of his major-league story. He doesn't want to give up just yet, fighting through injuries and disruptions for another chance at the highest level of professional baseball. He made his first start of the 2022 season on July 14, just before the All-Star break, against the Atlanta Braves. He allowed four runs in five innings, a predictably rusty outing for a pitcher who is unsure of what he has left in the tank. This game against the D-Backs should give us a better idea of what Sanchez can do. The Braves are a red-hot and very formidable team. The Diamondbacks are a far weaker team. If Sanchez has something left to offer the Nationals or any other big-league club, for that matter, he will deliver a solid outing here.

If he gets mashed, he might need to consider calling it a career at the end of this season, or maybe accepting a middle-relief role.

Madison Bumgarner has a 3.83 ERA. On May 16, he had a 2.29 ERA and was pitching at an elite level, recalling his days with the San Francisco Giants, whom he led to World Series glory a decade ago. Then, things went south for him. Mad Bum gave up 15 runs in his next four starts — encompassing 24 innings. His ERA shot up to 3.64 by June 6.

Since then, Bumgarner has been steady and average. Not great, not terrible, just ordinary. His ERA has remained relatively stable in his last seven starts. He isn't getting crushed, but he also isn't dominating the way he did in April and early May. The D-Backs need Bumgarner to find a higher ceiling in the next two months.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Nationals-Diamondbacks MLB odds.

MLB Odds: Nationals-Diamondbacks Odds

Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-154)

Arizona Diamondbacks: -1.5 (+128)

Over: 9 (-112)

Under: 9 (-108)

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Why The Nationals Could Cover the Spread

The Nationals played an atrocious game on Friday, so they will have some wounded pride going into this game. They know Madison Bumgarner is a vulnerable pitcher, so if they can get to him early, they can give Anibal Sanchez a scoreboard cushion which will enable the veteran to relax and perform his best for Washington.

Why The Diamondbacks Could Cover the Spread

After the All-Star break, we learn about teams and what they have left in terms of motivation. The Nationals, in light of the Juan Soto trade request, were a mentally flat team. The Diamondbacks are a much tougher team. They're a better team. They have the advantage in the pitching matchup, given Anibal Sanchez's frailty and lack of rhythm. Everything in this game points to an Arizona win.

Final Nationals-Diamondbacks Prediction & Pick

The Diamondbacks hammered a Washington team which sure seems to be distracted and adrift, given the Juan Soto trade situation. The Diamondbacks should win this game in Phoenix, probably by several runs.

Final Nationals-Diamondbacks Prediction & Pick: Diamondbacks -1.5