Nationals vs. Padres Pick
Do the San Diego Padres have the pieces in play to top the first-place Washington Nationals Thursday at 10:10PM EST?
Oddsmakers at Bovada.lv have made the San Diego Padres -110 on the moneyline, while the Nationals are also set at -110 in a game that is set as a pick’em for bettors. The over-under is set at 7.
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Washington will send Edwin Jackson (3-2, 3.86 ERA) to the hill, while San Diego will go with Jhoulys Chacin (11-8, 4.06 ERA). Jackson has been effective in his five starts since joining the rotation, most recently allowing one earned run on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks over six innings in a 3-1 victory over San Francisco. The Nationals are 3-2 in Jackson’s five starts. Chacin is 1-1 in three August starts with a 3.00 ERA, coming off a start where he gave up one earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts and four walks over five innings in a 6-3 loss to the Dodgers. Chacin is 7-2 at home this year with a sparkling 1.86 ERA, allowing only 50 hits and 26 walks over 77 1/3 innings.
This is the opener of a four-game series. San Diego is coming off a three-game home sweep over the Phillies, while the Nationals split a pair of home games with the Angels.
The Padres’ most recent win over the Phillies was a 3-0 triumph Wednesday afternoon as Clayton Richard threw a three-hit complete-game shutout, while Wil Myers became the first MLB player since 2011 to steal three bases in one inning. Myers reached base four times with a single, a double and a pair of walks. As for Washington, it lost 3-2 to the Angels Wednesday despite a home run from Ryan Zimmerman and seven strong innings of three-run ball from Tanner Roark.
San Diego stays at home, while Washington had to travel across the country last night and is without one of baseball’s premier players in Bryce Harper. Plus, Chacin has been outstanding at Petco Park. While the Nationals are a better team, this is a fantastic spot to take the Padres.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: SAN DIEGO PADRES -110