The Washington Nationals (5-13) visit the Minnesota Twins (11-8) on Friday night! First pitch commences at 8:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Nationals-Twins prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Nationals-Twins MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Twins Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-111)
Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (-108)
Over: 7.5 (-112)
Under: 7.5 (-108)
How To Watch Nationals vs. Twins
TV: MASN/2, Bally Sports
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET/ 5:10 p.m. PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
Last 10 & Standing: 3-7 (Fifth in the NL East)
Run Line Record: 10-8 (56%)
Over Record: 8-8-2 (50%)
Just 18 games into the season and Washington looks the part as the worst team in the National League. While they may not be the worst team in the entire MLB (thank John Fischer for that, Nationals fans) things certainly look rough in Washington to start the season. The Nationals have yet to win a series thus far, although they did split a four-game set with the Rockies. Additionally, they lost six of their last seven games coming into tonight. With a three-game series with the first-place Twins on deck, the Nationals need to figure out a way to score if they want to cover at any point in the next few days.
Righty Trevor Williams (1-1) makes his fourth start of the season tonight for the Nationals. Williams looked like the definition of “good but not great” in his first three stays. He went either 5.0 or 5.1 innings in all three starts and allowed just six total runs in his 15.1 innings of work. That culminates in a solid 3.52 ERA to go along with his 1.17 WHIP. That being said, Williams struggled with strikeouts early on and holds a career-low 5.3 K/9 after recording at least an 8.0 K/9 in each of his last four seasons. Last year he compiled a 3-5 record in 30 appearances (nine starts) while holding a 3.21 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 8.4 K/9. Matched up with a Twins team ranking in the bottom 10 in nearly every hitting category, Williams should continue to build off his solid start to the year.
Why The Twins Could Cover The Spread
Last 10 & Standing: 11-8 (First in the AL Central)
Run Line Record: 11-8 (58%)
Over Record: 7-10-2 (41%)
Minnesota returns home after a disappointing trip out East. They split a four-game series with the Yankees before losing two of three against the Red Sox. Still, the Twins won't complain about a 3-4 record out East as they still sit in first place in the AL Central. That being said, the defending champion Guardians sit just a game behind them and thus the Twins harbor a ton of motivation to bounce back. Tonight projects as an excellent opportunity to do just that as Minnesota hosts one of the worst teams in the league. That being said, the Twins' offense has been hit or miss thus far and they'll need their bats to wake up if they want to cover as two-run favorites.
Righty Tyler Mahle (1-2) makes his fourth start of the season for the Twins tonight. The 28-year-old looked sharp in his season debut when he held the Marlins to just a single run in five innings of work. His two subsequent starts did not go nearly as well as he gave up four in six innings to the Astros and four (two earned) in 4.1 to the Yankees. Still, Minnesota didn't give him a chance against either of their AL counterparts. They scored just a single run in both games. Consequently, Mahle needs to be sharper himself tonight but also needs something out of their offense. Considering the Nationals average the fifth-fewest runs per game, Mahle should be able to hold up his end of the bargain.
On the other end, it remains to be seen what we will get out of the Minnesota offense tonight. The Twins average just 4.3 runs per game – the 22nd-highest mark in the league. They've not been horrible in the power department but offer far more “bust” than boom” right now. The Twins hold the third-lowest on-base percentage and the second-highest strikeout rate in the MLB. That being said, the Nationals have been the perfect “get-right” medicine for struggling offenses this season. In addition to ranking in the bottom half of the league in ERA, they strike out the opposition at the lowest rate in the league.
Final Nationals-Twins Prediction & Pick
While Minnesota's offense struggled thus far, Washington offers the perfect opportunity to turn things around. Don't expect many runs in this one but the Twins should pull out an easy victory.
Final Nationals-Twins Prediction & Pick: Minnesota Twins -1.5 (-108)
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