Game two of this National League showdown will be on tap for this Tuesday evening in the “City of Angels” as the Washington Nationals battle it out with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Let's check out our MLB odds series where our Nationals-Dodgers prediction and pick will be revealed.
Falling short in game one on Monday by a score of 6-1, Washington enters play this evening with a 23-31 record overall as they currently sit nine games behind the Braves for first place in the NL East. Despite the sluggish start to the 2023 regular season, the Nationals will send out Jake Irvin to try to even up this series. So far, Irvin is 1-2 with a 5.32 ERA in his five starts on the season.
On the other side of things, the Dodgers haven't seemed to miss beat whatsoever with a decent amount of roster turnover during the offseason as LA has jumped out to a 33-22 record and are in firm control of the divisional lead out in the NL West. After losing two of three to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Dodgers will look to win this series versus the ‘Nats by calling upon right-handed hurler Tony Gonsolin. In six starts on the year, Gonsolin is 2-1 with a splendid 1.82 ERA.
Here are the Nationals-Dodgers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Dodgers Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (+132)
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-160)
Over: 9 (-104)
Under: 9 (-118)
How To Watch Nationals vs. Dodgers
TV: MASN
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 10:10 PM ET/7:10 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
Although the Nationals failed to get anything going on Monday in the 6-1 defeat, there are reasons to believe that Washington can rebound in a big way 24 hours later. First things first, there is no doubt that the ‘Nats must be at their best inside the batter's box. Believe it or not, even though Washington has the 22nd-most runs scored and only the 25th-best slugging percentage in the league, the Nationals happen to hit for a high average and are pests when it comes to reaching base at a high rate. Without a doubt, the ‘Nats haven't been in the conversation of being one of the top-hitting offenses in the league, but they certainly come through when it matters most.
Outside of the fact that Washington will need to generate some havoc on the base paths, being at their best from the mound will also be a must. Not only do the Nationals face an uphill battle by facing an extremely efficient Dodgers offense, but Washington hasn't been all that effective on the mound themselves. Fortunately, Irvin gave up only two runs on a pair of hits in his four innings pitched as he seems to be trending in a positive direction moving forward. Clearly, whether it is fair or not, the chances of the Nationals covering the spread may fall directly on Irvins's shoulders when it is all said and done.
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
On paper, the accomplished Freddie Freeman is having a career year with an active 18-game hitting streak, the Dodgers are a resounding 18-7 in their home ballpark, and the fact that Los Angeles possesses the top record in all of the National League are just a few reasons to name off why the Dodgers should be able to take care of business by covering the spread on this Tuesday evening.
Above all else, the biggest advantage that Los Angeles has over Washington at this point in time is the fact that they have dominated the Nationals since the start of 2021. Believe it or not, but the Dodgers have prevailed over the ‘Nats 11 out of 14 times since then which also includes their dominating 6-1 victory on Monday night. Without a doubt, there's a decent chance the Dodgers continue this type of domination based on past performances.
Not to mention, starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin is no slouch either. In fact, Gonsolin is fresh off of a 2022 season where he started the campaign 11-0 with no losses and a 2.02 ERA, and if he pitches anything like he did a year ago, then the Nationals will end up being in big, big trouble.
Final Nationals-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
Even though the value is there to select the Nationals to cover the spread, side with the Dodgers to jump the gun on Washington early and spend no time looking back in the process.
Final Nationals-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5 (-160)
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