May 14, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA;Washington Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario (9) celebrates with Nationals right fielder Lane Thomas (28) after scoring a run on an RBI single by Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (not pictured) against the New York Mets during the fourth inning of the continuation of a suspended game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The two teams in the bottom of the NL East will start a three game series on Tuesday when the Washington Nationals head to Florida to take on the Miami Marlins.
It may not be the sexiest matchup in the world, but that doesn’t mean we can’t place a bet and try to make some money.
Let’s dive into the betting odds for the game and then I’ll give you my best bet.
Nationals vs. Marlins odds, run line, and total
Nationals vs. Marlins prediction and pick
Both of these two teams are significantly better against left-handed pitchers than they are against right-handed pitchers, but only one of them is actually playing against a lefty starter in this game.
The Nationals will be trotting out righty, Josiah Gray (2.96 ERA), and he’ll face-off against Marlins’ lefty, Jesus Luzardo (3.38 ERA).
The Nationals go from 29th in OPS against right-handed pitchers (.636) to 8th in OPS against left-handed pitchers (.780). That’s a significant difference, so if you ever feel like betting on the Nationals, the time to do it is when they take on a left-handed starter.
Meanwhile, the Marlins go from 9th in OPS against lefties (.765) to 26th in OPS against righties (.666).
That means Gray and the Nationals should have a stylistic advantage in this NL East showdown. Both bullpens have been pretty bad this season, with bullpen ERAs of 4.42 and 4.28 respectively.
So, give me the Nationals as underdogs on Tuesday.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.