The Washington Nationals (5-8) and Oakland Athletics (6-8) play the middle game of their 3-game series Saturday. First pitch from Oakland Coliseum is slated for 4:07 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Nationals vs. Athletics odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Athletics lead 1-0
The Athletics cashed as -129 home favorites with a 2-1 victory over the Nationals in the series opener Friday as the Under (8) hit.
Washington pushed the game into extra innings with a top-of-the-9th blast from LF Jesse Winker off of A’s RHP Dany Jiménez. That excitement did not last long, as RHP Kyle Finnegan gave up the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 10th. Nationals starter RHP Jake Irvin pitched 6 innings of 1-run ball, striking out 5 in a no-decision.
Athletics starter RHP Paul Blackburn pitched a gem, shutting out Washington for 6 1/3 innings and striking out 4. All of Oakland’s offense came from RF Lawrence Butler, who went 2 for 3 with a solo home run and the Game-winning RBI single. The Athletics have won 5 of their last 6 Games heading into Saturday’s showdown.
Nationals at Athletics projected starters
LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. RHP Joe Boyle
Gore (1-0, 4.09 ERA) makes his 3rd start. He has a 1.27 WHIP, 3.3 BB/9 and 9.8 K/9 in 11 innings.
- Last start: Win, 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 K in 3-2 home victory vs. Philadelphia Phillies Sunday
- Has never faced the Athletics
Boyle (1-1, 8.22 ERA) makes his 3rd start. He has a 2.22 WHIP, 8.2 BB/9 and 11.7 K/9 in 7 2/3 innings.
- Last start: Win, 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K in 7-1 victory at Detroit Tigers Sunday
- Has never faced the Nationals
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Nationals at Athletics odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:15 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Nationals -125 (bet $125 to win $100) | Athletics +105 (bet $100 to win $105)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Nationals -1.5 (+140) | Athletics +1.5 (-165)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8 (O: -130 | U: -105)
Nationals at Athletics picks and predictions
Prediction
Nationals 5, Athletics 2
Moneyline
PASS.
The Nationals (-125) will get the victory in Game 2 of their series with the A’s Saturday afternoon. I’m not going to bet nearly 1½ units, though; I’ll keep my wager to the spread.
Run line/Against the spread
BET NATIONALS -1.5 (+140).
I love this matchup for Washington against big righty Boyle. He has allowed 7 runs in 7 innings of work this season. The Nationals as a team are batting nearly .250 against right-handers on the season.
The Athletics get to face the crafty lefty Gore, who held the powerful Phillies lineup to just 2 runs in his last start. Oakland has struggled against lefties; they are 0-3 and batting .190 on the season against southpaws.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 8 (-105).
It is hard to ignore the trends in this one. Washington has gone under the total in 6 of their last 7 games, while Oakland is 0-5-1 to the Over in their last 6. They have also gone Under in 2 of their last 3 head-to-head matchups.
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