Subscribe
Follow Us
The Washington Nationals take on the Colorado Rockies. Our MLB odds series has our Nationals Rockies prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Nationals Rockies.
The Washington Nationals have already hit rock bottom this season. You can't get much worse than being shut out by the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. It's true that Colorado starting pitcher Kyle Freeland was terrific, but the Rockies' bullpen isn't very good, and the Nationals delivered terrible late-game at-bats against the Colorado pen. Swings and misses weren't even close. Runners weren't moved along when the Nationals had action on the basepaths and trailed 1-0. It was a feeble offensive effort from a team which has won only one game so far this season and appears likely to lose more than 100 games. The Nats might be rebuilding, but the pace of that rebuild seems very slow. It will take a long time for this team to dig out of trouble.
The Colorado Rockies are getting the good starting pitching they need this season. Playing at Coors Field, the Rockies simply have to get more from their starters, especially at home. Colorado can't go through the kind of season it had in 2022, when starters who were decent or moderately competent on the road would come home and get shelled. The big performance of Kyle Freeland on Thursday against the Nationals offers the Rockies hope that their starters can eat up a lot more innings in 2023 and minimize exposure of their bullpen. That is exactly how the Rockies can stay in the hunt for a National League wild card berth and surprise some people in the National League.
Here are the Nationals-Rockies MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Rockies Odds
Washington Nationals: -1.5 (+146)
Colorado Rockies: +1.5 (-176)
Over: 11 (-120)
Under: 11 (-102)
How To Watch Nationals vs. Rockies
TV: MASN (Nationals) / AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Rockies) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET/5:40 p.m. PT
*Watch Nationals-Rockies LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
The performance of starter MacKenzie Gore this past Sunday against the Braves should give Washington confidence heading into this contest. Gore was part of the Juan Soto megadeal. The Nationals had to get a prime piece in exchange for handing over their generational star to another organization. Gore might be the one true shining star on the Washington pitching staff this year. Going up against Jose Urena — who struggled in his first outing of the season against the San Diego Padres — Gore should clearly have the advantage in this pitching confrontation. Washington is a bad team, but this is the right pairing of pitchers for the Nats, who should be able to do something with it.
Why The Rockies Could Cover The Spread
The fact that MacKenzie Gore was a premium trade piece in the Juan Soto deal matters little to the Rockies, who handled the Padres well in head-to-head competition last year. They are not going to be afraid of Gore, and beyond that, they know Gore well, having seen him a lot in 2022 with the Padres. Pitchers have more of an advantage against a given batting order if those hitters are not particularly familiar with them. If Gore had been in the American League, Colorado hitters might not be nearly as aware of his tendencies and strengths, but because Gore is a known entity among the Rockies, they should be able to pick up on his pitches and hit him hard.
Final Nationals-Rockies Prediction & Pick
Gore's impact on this game might be overrated, but Jose Urena is not a good pitcher, and Washington should be able to hammer him. Take Washington.
Final Nationals-Rockies Prediction & Pick: Nationals -1.5
