Texas Rangers vs Washington Nationals Preview
At 8:05 PM from Globe Life Field in Arlington, we have an interleague matchup between the Nationals and Rangers. Heading into Wednesday’s game, the Nationals are 14-15 compared to the Rangers at 16-14. Starting for the Nationals is Trevor Williams, and he is facing off against Andrew Heaney for the Rangers.
Texas comes into this one as the favorite, with money line odds of -168, and the over/under line is at 9 runs. If you’re looking to watch this game on TV, it is being carried by BSSW.
Check out BetCoco for Texas Rangers – Washington Nationals odds
Texas Rangers Trends and Key Stats
- Across their last five road games, the Nationals are 4-1. This includes going 4-1 vs. the runline.
- Conversely, the Rangers have achieved a 3-2 (SU) record and 3-2 record in their last five home games.
- Over their last ten games as the favorite, the Rangers have a straight-up record of 6-4, while going 4-6 against the runline.
- When playing as the underdog, the Nationals have won 6-4 of their previous ten games straight-up, while going 7-3 against the runline.
Thanks to a three-run 8th inning for the Rangers’ offense, they cruised to a 7-1 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Rangers were favored at -166 on the money line.
Jon Gray pitched well for the Rangers in this one, going eight innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with three strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk. MacKenzie Gore had a rough outing for the Nationals, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work.
Texas got a huge performance from Josh Smith, as he went 2/3 with a home run and five RBIs. Both Leody Taveras and Nathaniel Lowe each drove in two for the Rangers’ offense.
Texas Rangers vs Washington Nationals Prediction
Washington is 14-15 overall this year, and they are 5.5 games behind the Braves in the NL East. The Nationals are on the road today, taking on the Rangers, who are in 2nd place in the AL West. Washington lost the first game of this series vs. the Rangers.
The Nationals have gone 5-2 in divisional games so far this year. They have won two straight series on the road, and their overall series record is 4-5 this year. As the road underdog, the Nationals have gone 9-7 compared to 1-1 as the favorite. At home, the Nationals are just 4-8 this year.
Washington is 18-11 against the run line this season, and they’ve been particularly profitable on the road, going 13-4. They’ve been an underdog in most of those games, going 17-10 against the run line in those games. The Nationals’ average run margin this season is -0.4 runs per game, but they’ve been much better against the run line in their wins, with an average run margin of +3.1 runs per game.
The Washington Nationals have seen their last four games go over the total, with a combined run average of 8.5 runs per game this season. Their over/under record is 13-15 on the year, and they have played in just one game this season with an over/under line of 9 runs. For the season, 69% of their games have had lower over/under lines than 9 runs.
Trevor Williams will be making his 4th start of the season for the Nationals, and it will be on the road against the Rangers. He has a 1-0 record through his first 3 starts, and he is coming off a no-decision against the Marlins, where he went 5 innings and allowed 1 earned run. Williams has yet to give up a home run this season.
Washington’s offense has been a bit below average this season, averaging 4.1 runs per game (20th). They have been better on the road, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. As a team, the Nationals are batting .233, which is 16th in the league, and are 12th in on-base percentage. Looking at their home run numbers, they are 12th in the league but are just 28th in home runs.
CJ Abrams comes into the game with a six-game hitting streak and is batting .295 for the season. He also leads the team with seven home runs and 17 RBIs. However, he is hitting just .231 over his last seven games. Nick Senzel has five homers this season but is batting just .214 overall.
Texas is 16-14 overall this year and trails the Mariners by just one game in the AL West. The Rangers have won two straight games, taking the final game of their series vs. the Reds and the first game of this series vs. the Nationals. So far, they are 5-8 in AL West play.
At home, the Rangers are 9-8 this year and 7-6 on the road. As the favorite, the Rangers are 8-7 this year and 8-7 as the underdog. Texas’ overall series record is 4-4-1 this year.
The Rangers have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 14-16 overall. They have been slightly better on the road, going 7-6, but have been a losing proposition at home, going 7-10. They have been a good bet as an underdog, going 9-6 on the run line, compared to just 5-10 as the favorite. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.6, while it is -3.2 in losses.
The Texas Rangers have an over/under record of 13-16 this season, and their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game. The over/under line for today’s game against the Washington Nationals is set at 9 runs. So far this season, the Rangers have played 8 games with over/under lines set higher than 9 runs, which accounts for 26.7% of their games. In games with over/under lines set at 9 runs, the Rangers have a record of 4-6.
Andrew Heaney is getting the start at home for the Rangers against the Nationals. Heaney has had a rough start to the season, as he has taken the loss in both of his outings. In his most recent start, he went 6 innings, giving up 4 earned runs on 5 hits. Heaney has yet to go more than 6 innings in a start this season.
Adolis Garcia has been one of the league’s top power hitters so far this season, as his eight home runs are the 3rd most in the MLB. Garcia has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/32 in his last nine games with three homers and seven RBIs. Evan Carter and Marcus Semien are tied for 2nd on the team with five homers apiece, but Carter is batting just .220 this season, while Semien comes in at .258.
Over their last nine games, Nathaniel Lowe has gone 11/33 with six runs scored, but he has just one home run during this stretch. As a team, the Rangers are 6th in home runs and are averaging 4.6 runs per game. They have been a good road team so far this season, averaging 4.8 runs per contest.
Looking at the money line, we do like the Rangers to pick up a win, but at -168, the payout isn’t worth the risk. Instead, we recommend taking the over at 9 runs. Our predicted score is 6-5 in favor of the Rangers, giving us plenty of wiggle room with the line sitting at 9 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Andrew Heaney finishing with six strikeouts compared to Trevor Williams with five. Heaney is also projected to go longer into the game, but we still like the Rangers’ offense to come out on top.
Texas Rangers vs Washington Nationals Betting Tips
- Take the Rangers on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Nationals (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Texas Rangers Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Max Scherzer | Out | Back |
| Jacob deGrom | Out | Arm |
| Brock Burke | Out | Hand |
| Tyler Mahle | Out | Elbow |
| Austin Pruitt | Out | Knee |
| Josh Jung | Out | Wrist |
| Cody Bradford | Out | Ribs |
| Justin Foscue | Out | Oblique |
| Carson Coleman | Out | Elbow |
Washington Nationals Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Joey Gallo | Out | Shoulder |
| Victor Robles | Out | Hamstring |
| Mason Thompson | Out | Elbow |
| Lane Thomas | Out | Knee |
| Josiah Gray | Out | Elbow/Forearm |
| Cade Cavalli | Out | Elbow |
| Robert Garcia | Out | Illness |
| Jose A. Ferrer | Out | Teres Major |
