The San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals will face off in a three-game series this weekend in our nation's capital. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Padres-Nationals prediction and pick we have laid out below.
San Diego, after an exciting trade deadline, is second in the NL West at 63-51, but still a shocking 16 games out of the division lead. Still, this is one of the more exciting teams in the league, and are waiting in the lurk for when Fernando Tatis, Jr. returns from injury.
Washington is in the midst of a historically awful season, their 37-76 mark is easily the worst in the league. After trading away a chunk of their remaining talent, the rest of this season is about evaluating the younger players on the roster.
Here are the Padres-Nationals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Padres-Nationals Odds
San Diego Padres: -1.5 (-162)
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (+134)
Over: 9 (-108)
Under: 9 (-112)
Why The Padres Could Cover The Spread
Juan Soto revenge series? Not that the Padres need the extra motivation to win, but it couldn't hurt? Soto has been great since coming to the Padres, slashing .357/.471/.607 in his eight games. Manny Machado has been quietly enjoying a fantastic season, launching 20 home runs with a .294 batting average. Machado has helped to ease the loss of Fernando Tatis, Jr. with his play. San Diego's 195 doubles are tied for the eighth-best total in the league. Their 394 walks also rank sixth in the league. Jake Cronenworth, in addition to his 11 home runs, has a unique skill set. Cronenworth has some of the best plate discipline in the game, ranking in the 88th percentile in whiff rate and in the 96th percentile in chase rate. This offense is patiently awaiting the return of Tatis, Jr., but has been more than up to par without him.
Mike Clevinger, after missing the 2021 season, has been solid in his healthy return in 2022. Clevinger has a 3.60 ERA in 13 appearances (12 starts), striking out 62 in 65 innings. Clevinger's command has returned since Tommy John, walking just 6.3% of the batters he faced. Batters have hit a meek .171 against Clevinger's fastball. The Padres bullpen has been so-so, ranking 13th in the league with a 3.82 ERA. Nabil Crismatt has been a standout, with a 3.04 ERA in his 50.1 innings.
Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
Washington is likely heading for a long rebuild. Still, no matter how bad a team is, nobody has ever gone 0-162. So, there is hope in almost every game! There are still capable major leaguers in Nelson Cruz, Lane Thomas, and Luke Voit, with some emerging young talent as well. Thomas has hit 10 home runs and 16 doubles, Cruz has launched eight home runs, and Voit has 15 home runs across his time with San Diego and Washington. In his even games with Washington, Voit is hitting .292 with 2 home runs. Catcher Keibert Ruiz looks like a potential rock behind the plate, throwing out 19 of 60 would-be base stealers while accumulating a .664 OPS, but he's still young.
Cory Abbott will take the mound for Washington, and he has ridden the option express thus far. Tonight will mark his sixth appearance and third start in 2022. Abbott has a 5.68 ERA in 11.2 innings, but the former second-round pick has some encouraging numbers. Batters have hit under .200 against both Abbott's fastball and slider, with nine of his 11 strikeouts coming on those pitches. Washington's bullpen has been embarrassing, but veteran Steve Cishek has struck out 10.9 batters per nine innings.
Final Padres-Nationals Prediction & Pick
Let's run with the Juan Soto/Josh Bell revenge angle.
Final Padres-Nationals Prediction & Pick: San Diego -1.5 (-162), over 9 (-108)
Follow Us
Subscribe