Dodgers vs. Nationals Saturday Pick
After yet another rainout in D.C., the Washington Nationals and Max Scherzer hope that Saturday night is the night they finally get back into action. Will Scherzer take care of the Los Angeles Dodgers when these two teams battle in Game 2 of Saturday’s double-header?
Game Snapshot & Odds
901 Los Angeles Dodgers (+185) at 902 Washington Nationals (-200); 7 runs
Saturday, May 19, 2018
8:05 p.m. ET, Nationals Park
TV: LAD (SNLA); WSH (MASN)
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Public Betting Trends
Oddsmakers from online sportsbooks currently list the Nationals as a -200 favorite. As of this writing, 79% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Nationals to beat the Dodgers on the moneyline. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on this game.
Dodgers to start Hill in second game of doubleheader
Rich Hill (blister) experienced no issues in a bullpen session and will start on Saturday against the Nationals.
Hill was forced to leave his previous start on Sunday against the Reds early because of a blister on the inner part of his middle finger, but he’ll be good to go against the Nationals on Saturday. On the season, Hill has a 6.20 ERA in five starts with 25 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings.
Nationals’ Scherzer strikes out 11 in seventh victory
Max Scherzer moved to 7-1 after allowing one run in seven innings Friday against the Diamondbacks. Par for the course for Scherzer of late. He struck out 11, giving him six games of 10 strikeouts in nine tries. He still hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any outing. He’s a clear Cy Young favorite at this point.
MLB Betting Trends
Los Angeles
The Dodgers are 8-3 in their last 11 games in Washington and have won five of their last seven games versus the Nationals overall.
Washington
The under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams and is 3-1-1 in the last five meetings in Washington.
Prediction:
We know what to expect out of Scherzer, who owns a 2.33 ERA to match an impressive 35.7% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate. He’ll shut down a Dodgers lineup that couldn’t generate many runs against Miami’s pitching staff until the final game of the series. Hill is more of the unknown but he’s a grizzled veteran that knows how to limit hard contact. If he can navigate through some of the tougher hitters in the Nationals’ lineup, then the under should cash tonight for bettors.
The Pick: Dodgers/Nationals Game 2 under 7