The San Diego Padres will begin a three-game series with the Washington Nationals on Tuesday at Nationals Park. It's a battle in our nation's capitol as we share our MLB odds series and make a Padres-Nationals prediction and pick.

Padres-Nationals Projected Starters 

Randy Vasquez vs. TDB

Randy Vasquez (2-5) with a 4.57 ERA

Last Start: Vasquez went five innings in his last outing, allowing two earned runs, four hits, striking out five, and walking one in a loss to the Atlanta Braves.

2024 Road Splits: Vasquez is struggling on the road, going 1-2 with a 6.15 ERA over six starts away from Petco Park.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Padres-Nationals Odds

San Diego Padres: -1.5 (+162)

Moneyline: +102

Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-196)

Moneyline: -120

Over: 9.5 (-110)

Under: 9.5 (-110)

How to Watch Padres vs. Nationals 

Time: 6:45 PM ET/3:45 PM PT

TV: MASN

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Padres Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Padres are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final wildcard spot in the National League. Overall, they have done a steady job of competing, even while overcoming injuries. San Diego has delivered results and has been solid, even taking two of three from the Cleveland Guardians on the road this past weekend. Much of that has been attributed to an offense that continues to produce.

Fernando Tatis Jr. will return soon. However, for now, the Padres must still win without him. Luis Arraez continues to be a productive hitter at the top of the lineup. He is batting .310 with two home runs, 25 RBIs, and 50 runs. Jurickson Profar has had an amazing season, and continues to clobber the baseball. Significantly, he is hitting .300 with 14 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 52 runs while also leading the team in hits with 105 knocks.

Jake Cronenworth is delivering results this season. Currently, he is batting .257 with 14 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 50 runs. Manny Machado is not as good as he used to be. Still, he is hitting .258 with 13 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 44 runs. Xander Bogaerts is back after missing some time with a shoulder fracture. Now, he hopes to improve on a season where he is hitting only .236 with four home runs, 15 RBIs, and 23 runs.

Vasquez will attempt to get things right in this start. Sadly, he has only had one quality start over his last six outings. When Vasquez is done, he will turn it over to a bullpen that is just 22nd in team ERA. Robert Suarez is the man to take the reigns in the ninth inning when the Padres have a lead. He will need to do everything he can to protect it.

The Padres will cover the spread if the offense can produce some runs. Then, they need Vasquez to pitch better in this one.

Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Nationals are having another bad season, with the chances of making the playoffs all but a pipe dream. Unfortunately, nothing has gone right this season, and much of that has had to do with an anemic offense. Despite that, they started the second half of the season with a three-game sweep over the Cincinnati Reds. Now, they hope to continue that momentum and see if their offense can continue producing as they did this past weekend.

CJ Abrams is having a good season and is one of the better hitters in this lineup. Significantly, he is batting .267 with 15 home runs, 49 RBIs, and 60 runs. Lane Thomas needs to do more. Currently, he is hitting just .246 with eight home runs, 39 RBIs, and 38 runs. Harold Ramirez has not done well since coming to the Nationals. Ultimately, he is batting .250 with just one home run, 10 RBIs, and three runs over 14 games.

When he is finished, he will turn it over to a bullpen that is 17th in team ERA. Kyle Finnegan is one of the best closers in the game, sporting a 2-4 record with a 2.34 ERA and 28 saves in 32 chances.

The Nationals will cover the spread if their offense can create big innings and drive in multiple runs. Then, they need a good outing from their starter and a solid outing from the bullpen.

Final Padres-Nationals Prediction & Pick

The Padres are 51-51 against the run-line record, while the Nats are 56-44 against the run-line. Yet, the Padres are the second-best team in baseball at covering the spread on the road, with a 30-17 mark. The Nats are 26-21 against the spread at home, showcasing their ability to keep things close. In this case, we can see the Padres finding a way to cover the odds on the road with an offense that continues to batter the baseball.

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Final Padres-Nationals Prediction & Pick: San Diego Padres -1.5 (+162)