The Reds make the trip to Washington D.C. to face the Nationals! These two teams have struggled with inconsistency. The Reds are the better team, but the difference between the two is very close. Our MLB odds series has our Reds-Nationals prediction, odds, and pick for Saturday.

Reds-Nationals Projected Starters 

Nick Lodolo vs. MacKenzie Gore

Nick Lodolo (8-3) with a 3.33 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP

Last Start: Pitched 4.2 innings and gave up two runs on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts in a Reds loss.

2024 Road Splits: (4-1) 2.27 ERA

MacKenzie Gore (6-8) with a 4.01 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP

Last Start: Pitched 4.2 innings and gave up four runs on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts in a Nationals loss.

2024 Home Splits: (4-4) 4.11 ERA

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Reds-Nationals Odds

Cincinnati Reds: -1.5 (+136)

Moneyline: -116

Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-164)

Moneyline: -102

Over: 8 (-122)

Under: 8 (+100)

How to Watch Reds vs. Nationals

Time: 6:45 pm ET

TV: Bally Sports Ohio / MASN

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Reds Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Reds have struggled to find consistency and have a 47-50 record. Cincinnati has struggled to get going behind the plate, ranking near the bottom of the MLB. Their pitching has been red-hot and is just outside the top 10 of the MLB. Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz, Will Benson, Jeimer Candelario, and Jake Fraley have been standouts in a struggling offense this season. Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene, and Nick Lodolo have all been at varying levels of good for Cincinnati on the mound. The Reds have had their fair share of struggles this season, and can't find any consistency.

The Reds are starting Nick Lodolo on the mound where he has an 8-3 record, a 3.33 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP. Through 78.1 innings, he has allowed 30 runs on 64 hits with 24 walks and 81 strikeouts up to this point in the season. In his 14 starts, the Reds are 10-4 this season. Lodolo has been a huge bright spot for the Reds this year in a strong pitching staff. He gets a favorable matchup against the Nationals with their inconsistent offense this year.

The Reds have struggled behind the plate this season. They are ranked 26th in batting average at .231 after they finished with a .249 batting average just one season ago. Elly De La Cruz, Jonathan India, and Spencer Steer lead in most batting categories. India leads in batting average at .275 and in OBP at .377. De la Cruz leads in home runs at 17 and in total hits at 92. Finally, Steer leads in RBI at 60. They get a difficult matchup against MacKenzie Gore on the mound for the Nationals who has been the biggest bright spot on the mound for a below-average pitching staff.

Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Nationals have struggled this season as a team. They sit with a 44-53 record in time for the second half of the year. They are in the bottom half of the MLB in both pitching and behind the plate which is a big factor in why they have struggled with consistency. 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 this season consistently.

The Nationals are starting MacKenzie Gore on the mound and he has a 6-8 record, a 4.01 ERA, and a 1.43 WHIP. Through 98.2 innings, Gore has allowed 53 runs on 104 hits with 37 walks and 116 strikeouts. The Nationals are 8-11 in the 19 games he has started this season. Gore has been solid for the Nationals on the mound this season. He has a favorable matchup against the Reds with all the struggles they have had this season.

The offense for the Nationals has struggled this season. They are 19th in the MLB in team batting average at .239 after having a team batting average of .254 one season ago. CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr., and Jesse Winker stand out and lead the way in most batting categories. Abrams leads in home runs at 15, in RBI at 48, in total hits at 95. Then, Garcia Jr. leads in batting average at .281 and Winker leads in OBP at .374. They get a difficult matchup against Nick Lodolo who has had a great season on the mound in Cincinnati.

Final Reds-Nationals Prediction & Pick

The Reds are the better team when compared to the Nationals, but only slightly. The Reds have the better pitcher in Lodolo over Gore for the Nationals. The Nationals have the better offense, but the difference is marginal. This should be a close game with a duel between Lodolo and Gore, so expect the Nationals to cover at home, even if the Reds still win close.

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Final Reds-Nationals Prediction & Pick: Nationals +1.5 (-164)