Washington Nationals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Preview
Thursday’s matchup between the Diamondbacks and Nationals is set to get started at 1:05 PM ET from Nationals Park in Washington, DC. The Nationals are the slight favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -140 compared to the Diamondbacks at +119. The over/under line is currently at 9 runs.
MacKenzie Gore will be starting for the Nationals, while the Diamondbacks are going with Ryne Nelson. Arizona is currently 2nd in the NL West, while the Nationals are 3rd in the NL East. MASN will be televising this game.
Check out BetCoco for Washington Nationals – Arizona Diamondbacks odds
Washington Nationals Trends and Key Stats
- Over the course of their previous five away games, the Diamondbacks have recorded a 2-3 record, with a 2-3 performance on the runline.
- On the opposing side, the Nationals have a 3-2 (SU) record, along with a 3-2 record in their last five home contests.
- As the favorite, the Nationals are 8-2 over their last ten games, including going 6-4 vs. the runline.
- Looking at the Diamondbacks’ previous ten games as the underdog they are 5-5 straight-up and 5-5 vs. the runline.
Washington picked up a 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks in the most recent game of this series. The Nationals had a huge 6th inning, scoring all three of their runs. As for the Diamondbacks, they scored their only run in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Nationals were the +147 underdogs.
Patrick Corbin got the start for the Nationals, going just five innings but giving up just one run and striking out seven. He did not factor in the decision, as Derek Law got the win out of the bullpen and Kyle Finnegan got the save. Brandon Pfaadt had a good outing for the Diamondbacks, giving up three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of work.
Jesse Winker hit the game’s only home run while going 1/3 with two RBIs. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a two-hit game for Arizona.
Washington Nationals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction
Arizona is 36-38 overall and is 9.0 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. The Diamondbacks are tied with the Padres for 2nd place in the division. So far, they have gone 15-12 in divisional games. The Diamondbacks are playing on the road today, and they are 17-20 on the road compared to 19-18 at home.
The Diamondbacks have won two straight games as the underdog, and they are 16-22 as the underdog overall. As the favorite, Arizona is 20-16 this year. They are also 9-11-3 in series this year and have won two straight series.
Arizona has been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 35-39 overall. They are 16-21 at home, but 19-18 on the road. As the underdog, they are 21-17 on the run line, and they have covered in two straight games as the underdog. Their average run differential is +0.1 runs per game, and they have a scoring margin of +0.3 runs per game on the road.
The Diamondbacks have been a solid over team this season, with a 36-36 O/U record overall. However, when the O/U line is set at 9 runs, they have gone under in 10 of 17 games. The O/U line for today’s game against the Nationals is set at 9 runs, and the Diamondbacks have gone under in their last two games.
Ryne Nelson gets the start for the Diamondbacks today as he faces the Nationals on the road. So far this season, he has made 11 starts and three of them have been quality starts. Nelson’s record for the season is 4-5, and he is coming off a start in which he picked up the win. Against the White Sox on June 14th, he went six innings, giving up one earned run on six hits. Looking back at his last four starts, Nelson has alternated between wins and losses. His ERA for the season is 5.49, along with a WHIP of 1.64.
Christian Walker has been swinging a hot bat for the Diamondbacks, as he has gone 12/45 (.267) with four homers and 10 RBIs over his last 10 games. For the season, he is batting .255 with a team-high 16 home runs and 49 RBIs. Ketel Marte has also been a big run producer for Arizona, as he is 2nd on the team with 42 RBIs and has gone deep 15 times.
As a team, the Diamondbacks are 6th in scoring at 4.8 runs per game. They have been a good home and road offensive team this season and are also among the league leaders in team batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Overall, they are the 6th ranked home run hitting team in the league.
Washington is 36-37 overall and is 12.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. So far, they have gone 14-10 against other teams in the NL East. The Nationals have won three straight series, and their overall series record is 10-12-1 this year.
The Nationals have been playing well lately, going 8-2 across their last 10 games. At home, they are 17-18 compared to 19-19 on the road. As the underdog, Washington is 30-33 this year and 6-4 when favored.
Washington has been a run line betting machine this season, going 45-28 overall. They have been even better on the road, going 25-13 against the run line. As the underdog, they have been especially profitable, going 39-24 against the run line. They have an average run margin of -0.2 runs per game, and their average run margin in winning games is +3.3 runs per game.
Washington has seen the under hit in four straight games and has a combined run average of 8.2 runs per game this season. The Nationals’ over/under record is 32-38, and they have played in 13 games with an over/under line of 9 runs. Their average over/under line on the season is 8 runs per game.
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Diamondbacks at home. He has made 14 starts this season and has a record of 6-5 with a 3.24 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Gore has a WHIP of 1.32 and opponents are batting .248 this season. Gore has turned in five quality starts this year and is averaging 10.92 strikeouts per nine innings. In his most recent outing, he went seven innings, giving up just one earned run and picking up the win. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in three straight outings.
So far this season, the Nationals offense has been one of the worst in the league, as they are 23rd in runs per game and have the worst home run total in the MLB. As a team, they are batting just .234, which is 14th in the league. However, they do have a few hitters who are swinging the bat well right now, as CJ Abrams has gone 11/27 in his last seven games and is batting .261 for the season, and Jesse Winker is on a four-game hitting streak and is batting .271 for the year.
Abrams comes into the game with a team-high 36 RBIs and 11 homers, which is 12th in the MLB. Lane Thomas and Eddie Rosario are also tied for 2nd on the team with seven homers, but both players are batting below .230 for the season.
Our predicted final score for this one is 6-5 in favor of the Nationals, and with them being at home, we like them on the money line at -140. At this payout, we see this as a great value, as the Nationals have a 53% chance of winning this one.
Looking at some potential player props, we like MacKenzie Gore to finish with six strikeouts. As for the Diamondbacks starter, Ryne Nelson, he is projected to finish with just four K’s.
Washington Nationals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Betting Tips
- Take the Nationals on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Diamondbacks (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Washington Nationals Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Joey Gallo | Out | Hamstring |
| Trevor Williams | Out | Hip Flexor |
| Mason Thompson | Out | Elbow |
| Josiah Gray | Out | Elbow/Forearm |
| CJ Abrams | Questionable | Wrist |
| Cade Cavalli | Out | Elbow |
| Jose A. Ferrer | Out | Teres Major |
Arizona Diamondbacks Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Eduardo Rodriguez | Out | Shoulder |
| Miguel Castro | Out | Shoulder |
| Zac Gallen | Out | Hamstring |
| Alek Thomas | Out | Hamstring |
| Merrill Kelly | Out | Shoulder |
| Kyle Nelson | Out | Shoulder |
| Drey Jameson | Out | Elbow |
| Blake Walston | Out | Elbow |
| Andrew Saalfrank | Out | Suspension |
