Texas Rangers vs Washington Nationals Preview
Thursday’s interleague matchup between the Nationals and Rangers is set for 2:35 from Globe Life Field in Arlington. Washington comes in with a record of 15-15, while the Rangers are just above .500 at 16-15. The over/under line is at 8.5 runs, and the Rangers are the favorite on the money line at -213.
Thursday’s starting pitching matchup features Mitchell Parker for the Nationals and Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers. If you’re looking where to watch this game on TV, it can be seen on MASN.
Check out BetCoco for Texas Rangers – Washington Nationals odds
Texas Rangers Trends and Key Stats
- 4-1 is the record of Nationals in their last five road games. They have also gone 4-1 vs. the runline.
- In the Rangers’ five most recent home games, their record stands at 3-2 (SU) with 3-2 against the spread.
- Over their last ten games when playing as the favorite, the Rangers have won 6-4 straight-up, and have a 4-6 record vs. the runline.
- Over their previous ten games as the underdog, the Nationals have a straight-up record of 6-4 and a 7-3 record vs. the runline.
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Nationals vs Rangers series. Washington went into the matchup as +165 underdogs and squeaked out a 1-0 win. The only run of the game came in the 2nd inning for the Nationals.
Trevor Williams got the start for Washington and went five innings while striking out three and not giving up a run. He picked up a win in the game, while Kyle Finnegan closed things out. Andrew Heaney had a good outing for the Rangers, going seven innings and giving up just one run.
At the plate, Nick Senzel was the only Nationals hitter to have more than one hit. He went 2/4 with a run scored. Texas actually outhit Washington in the game 6 to 5.
Texas Rangers vs Washington Nationals Prediction
Washington is looking to move above .500 today, as they are currently 15-15 overall. The Nationals are on the road to take on the Rangers, and they are 5.5 games behind the Braves for the NL East lead. So far, they have gone 5-2 in divisional games.
At home, the Nationals have gone just 4-8 this year. However, they have been better on the road, coming in with an 11-7 mark. As the road underdog, Washington has gone 10-7 this year, and they are 14-14 as the underdog overall.
Washington has been a profitable team to bet on the run line this season, with a 19-11 record. They have been especially strong on the road, going 14-4 against the run line. The Nationals have been a good bet as the underdog, going 18-10 against the run line in those games. Their average run margin in winning games is +2.9, while it drops to -3.6 in losses.
Washington Nationals games have gone over the over/under line in 13 of 29 games this season, with an average combined run total of 8.3. The O/U line for today’s game against the Texas Rangers is 8.5 runs. In games with an O/U line of 8.5 runs, the over has hit in 5 of 11 games. Overall, 10 of the Nationals’ games have had higher O/U lines than today’s 8.5-run line.
Washington’s Mitchell Parker will be on the road to take on the Texas Rangers today. Parker has been solid in his first three starts, as he has a win and a no-decision. In his most recent outing, he went 4 innings and gave up 1 earned run on 6 hits.
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league so far, averaging just 4 runs per game (20th). They have been even worse at home, averaging only 3 runs per contest. The Nationals have been good at avoiding strikeouts and have the 6th fewest strikeouts in the league. As a team, they are batting just .231, which is 17th in the league.
CJ Abrams has been a bright spot for the Nationals so far, as he is hitting .284 and leads the team with 7 home runs and 17 RBIs. Nick Senzel has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 6/21 in his last five games with three homers and seven RBIs. For the season, he is batting just .239.
Texas will host the Nationals today with an overall record of 16-15, and they are 2nd in the AL West, one game behind the Mariners. The Rangers trail the Mariners by one game and are 5-8 against other teams in the AL West.
At home, the Rangers are 9-9 this year and 7-6 on the road. So far, they have been even both as the favorite and the underdog, going 8-8 in each situation. Texas’ overall series record is 4-4-1, and they are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
The Rangers have been a solid run line bet this season, going 14-17 overall. They have been slightly better on the road, going 7-6 compared to 7-11 at home. They have been a better run line bet as the underdog, going 9-6 compared to 5-11 as the favorite. Their average run differential in wins is +3.6, compared to -3.1 in losses.
So far this season, the Rangers have had 19 games with over/under lines higher than 8.5 runs, and their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game. Their over/under record is 13-17, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, they are 3-5. Today’s over/under line is set at 8.5 runs.
Through six starts, Nathan Eovaldi has a record of 1-2 and an ERA of 3.00 for the Rangers. He has made three quality starts this year and is coming off an outing in which he didn’t allow an earned run. Against the Reds on April 26th, Eovaldi went six innings, giving up just one earned run, and finished with eight strikeouts. Eovaldi’s ERA at home is 2.03, and he has a record of 0-0 at home. The right-hander has a 4.19 ERA on the road.
Adolis Garcia has been one of the league’s top power threats this season, as his eight home runs are the best mark on the team and 3rd best in the league. Garcia is also batting .294 for the season, and he has gone deep three times in his past eight games. Evan Carter has also hit three homers in his last nine games, and he comes into the game with a season-long batting average of .221.
Over his last nine games, Nathaniel Lowe has gone 11/32, and he is currently on a five-game hitting streak. Lowe’s two homers are not among the league leaders, but his 25 RBIs are 4th in the league. As a team, the Rangers are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 15th in the league.
Our prediction for today’s Nationals vs. Rangers game is to take the over, with the line sitting at 8.5 runs. We actually have the Rangers winning this one by a final of 6-5, but with the payout for picking a winner not being great, we recommend taking the over.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Nathan Eovaldi picking up the win and finishing with five strikeouts. As for Mitchell Parker, we have him finishing with four K’s and giving up five hits.
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 |
