Washington Nationals (20-27) vs San Diego Padres (21-26)
The Line: Betting Odds: Washington Nationals +135 / San Diego Padres -175 — Over/Under: 8.5
The San Diego Padres will host the Washington Nationals for game one of their three-game set this Tuesday from Petco Park.
Padres Betting Preview
San Diego moved to 21-26 after dropping two of three to Boston. The Padres have only won two of their last ten games, and they have to capitalize on these type of matchups. The San Diego offense is scoring 4.31 runs per game, while batting .234, with a .321 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.03 ERA, with a 1.29 WHIP. Xander Bogaerts leads the Pads in hits (44), despite going hitless at Fenway. Juan Soto homered over the weekend to bring his team-leads to 8 HR and 21 RBI, and he’ll look to replicate that effort in a return to DC here. Fernando Tatis went yard twice in Boston to bring his season splits to .274/7/14.
Ryan Weathers (1-2, 3.42 ERA, 14 Ks) is set to start for San Diego. The third-year pitcher returned to action last week against the Dodgers, allowing four runs in 5.2 innings pitched. Weathers has delivered mixed results this year, but this spot in DC feels manageable.
Nationals Betting Preview
Washington dropped to 20-27 after taking two of three from Detroit. The Nationals snapped a four-game skid by taking the last two versus the Tigers, and they’ll look to steal a few from the Pads here. The Washington offense is scoring 3.42 runs per game, while batting .252, with a .316 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.36 ERA, with a 1.40 WHIP. Joey Meneses collected three hits in the finale with Detroit, and he now leads the Nats in batting (.296). Lane Thomas has a hit in seven straight games, and he leads the team in RBI (23) and runs scored (30). CJ Abrams has doubled twice in the Tigers’ series, and he’s tied for the team-lead in RBI with Thomas at 23.
MacKenzie Gore (3-3, 3.69 ERA, 58 Ks) will take the mound for Washington. The second-year pitcher will receive the chance to stick it to his former team here, and he’s performed well with the Nats since coming over. Gore will also be looking to avenge his third loss of the season, after allowing four runs in 5.1 innings to Miami. Gore did manage to fan seven, and he’s cleared six strikeouts in seven of his first nine outings, while delivering four quality starts.
San Diego vs Washington Trends
San Diego is 22-25 against the spread this season, with a 14-31-2 O/U record. Washington is 30-17 ATS this year, with a 20-24-3 over/under record.
Corey’s Free Pick
San Diego comes into a trick spot with revenge plots on both sides. The Padres splashed to acquire Juan Soto from the Nats last season, and they sent back a talented arm in MacKenzie Gore, who happens to be getting the ball in this one. Despite their struggles, the Pads still have the lineup to give Gore trouble, and after dropping eight of ten games, there should be a sense of urgency to turn things around. A Soto bomb would be fitting during this series, and I like San Diego stealing game one from their former pitcher. Back the Pads here, and don’t shy away from the Gore/Soto SGP.