Nationals vs. Orioles Pick
Who has the edge in today’s big interleague rivalry game when the Baltimore Orioles host the Washington Nationals at 7:05PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, this game is considered even, as both teams are listed with odds of -110 to win today’s contest. The over/under total for the game has been set at 9 runs.
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The Nationals have Gio Gonzalez (3-0, 1.64 ERA) on the mound to face Kevin Gausman (1-3, 7.55) of the Orioles. Gonzalez has continued to be a great arm for Washington all season, as he has allowed just 7 earned runs in 38.1 innings. His walk total is a touch high at 18, which puts his WHIP at 1.25. He does also have 34 strikeouts. Gausman is coming off a 1-inning outing against the Red Sox last week, where he was ejected. Gausman has been struggling for the past few weeks, allowing 19 earned run in 15 innings of work. He has a WHIP of 1.94 this year with 20 strikeouts and 18 walks.
Washington had a four-game winning streak snapped on Sunday in a 6-5 loss to the Phillies. Still, the Nats are 21-10 overall and 12-4 on the road this season. Washington is averaging an impressive 6.26 runs per game while allowing 4.55. Ryan Zimmerman is tearing things up right now, hitting .435 with 13 home runs and 34 RBI. Bryce Harper is adding a .376 average with nine homers and 27 RBI.
The Orioles come into today on a four-game winning streak following a sweep of the White Sox. They are now 20-10 overall and 11-3 at home. Baltimore is putting up 4.40 runs per game while allowing 4.03 per contest. Manny Machado has eight home runs and 21 RBI this season, but is hitting just .237. Jonathan Schoop has added a .296 average with five home runs and 17 RBI.
The Orioles have a lot of pop in their bats, like the Nationals, but Washington is hitting at a much higher rate as a team. Baltimore has just a .250 average while the Nats are hitting .285. I expect Washington to light up Gausman, who has been giving up runs by the handful. Baltimore has been great at home this season, but the Orioles haven’t played a team like Washington at home yet.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: WASHINGTON NATIONALS -110