The Nationals make the trip to Tampa Bay to face the Rays! Both teams have struggled with consistency this season. The Nationals have struggled recently, while the Rays are playing much better leading into this matchup. Our MLB odds series has our Nationals-Rays prediction, odds, and pick for Saturday.

Nationals-Rays Projected Starters 

Jake Irvin vs. Aaron Civale

Jake Irvin (5-6) with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP

Last Start: Pitched six innings and gave up one run on three hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts in a Nationals win.

2024 Road Splits: (4-1) 2.44 ERA

Aaron Civale (2-5) with a 5.20 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP

Last Start: Pitched five innings and gave up one run on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts in a Rays win.

2024 Home Splits: (1-3) 4.40 ERA

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Nationals-Rays Odds

Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-210)

Moneyline: +108

Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+172)

Moneyline: -126

Over: 7.5 (-105)

Under: 7.5 (-115)

How to Watch Nationals vs. Rays

Time: 4:10 pm ET

TV: Bally Sports Sun / MASN

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Nationals have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the MLB. They sit with a 38-42 record and have lost four out of their last five games and three straight entering this series. Their pitching has played decently and is in the middle of the league's pack, while they have struggled behind the plate on offense. Jesse Winker, CJ Abrams, Joey Meneses, and Luis Garcia Jr. have stood out for an offense that has struggled this season in the capital. Trevor Williams, MacKenzie Gore, and Jake Irvin have all been solid up to this point on the mound and have been the best players pitching-wise. The Nationals have talent but have struggled to put it together.

The Nationals are starting Jake Irvin on the mound in this game and he has a 5-6 record, a 3.13 ERA, and a 1.09 WHIP. Through 92 innings, Irvin has allowed 36 runs on 80 hits with 20 walks and 81 strikeouts. The Nationals are 6-10 in the 16 games he has started this season. Irvin has been one of the best pitchers in a strong Nationals pitching staff. This is also a favorable matchup for him because the Rays have struggled behind the plate.

The offense for the Nationals has struggled this season. They are 21st in the MLB in-team batting average at .236 after having a team batting average of .254 one season ago. CJ Abrams, Joey Meneses, and Jesse Winker stand out and lead the way in most batting categories. Abrams leads the way in batting average at .280, home runs at 12, and total hits at 82. Finally, Meneses leads in RBI at 41 and Winker in OBP at .378. They get a favorable matchup against Aaron Civale who has struggled for the Rays this season on the mound.

Why The Rays Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Rays have been inconsistent this season, and currently sit with a 40-41 record. The Rays are below average on offense and then are in the bottom half of the MLB in pitching. This play on both sides of the ball is why they have struggled to find consistency as a team. Isaac Paredes, Amed Rosario, Yandy Diaz, Harold Ramirez, Jose Caballero, and Randy Arozarena have been solid for the Rays offense. On the mound, Zach Eflin and Zack Littell have been solid for a unit that has not been great this season.

The Rays are starting Aaron Civale on the mound where he has a 2-5 record, a 5.20 ERA, and a 1.35 WHIP. He has allowed 49 runs on 87 hits with 23 walks and 82 strikeouts through 81.1 innings. The Rays are also 5-11 in the 16 games that he has started, so far this season. Civale has struggled this season on the mound, but this is a decent matchup against a struggling Nationals batting lineup.

The offense for the Rays has struggled this season behind the plate. They are 20th in team-batting average at .230 after finishing with a .260 last season. Isaac Paredes and Yandy Diaz lead the way in most batting categories. Paredes leads in home runs at 12, in RBI at 41, and in OBP at .359. Diaz then leads in .275 batting average and in total hits at 89. This is a difficult matchup against Jake Irvin on the mound because he has been great for the Nationals overall.

Final Nationals-Rays Prediction & Pick

The Nationals have the advantage in this game because of the pitcher. Each team has struggled behind the plate with neither team being able to find any consistency on offense. The Nationals have the pitching advantage with Jake Irvin compared to Aaron Civale for the Rays. The Nationals should win not only cover this spread on the road, but they should win outright.

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Final Nationals-Rays Prediction & Pick: Nationals +1.5 (-210)