Marlins vs. Nationals Pick
The Washington Nationals are a large favorite Monday night when they open a home series versus the Miami Marlins. First pitch is at 7:05PM EST.
Oddsmakers at sports book Bovada.lv have made the Nationals a -220 favorite on the moneyline. The Marlins are a +190 underdog, while the over-under sits at 7.5.
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Jose Urena (12-5, 3.68 ERA) draws the start for Miami, while Washington will turn to Cy Young Award favorite Max Scherzer (12-5, 2.25). Urena has a 1.22 WHIP with 89 strikeouts in 129 2/3 innings. The Marlins have won his last four starts. He has an 8-0 road record with a 4.05 ERA in 13 appearances (10 starts). Scherzer makes his return after the first DL stint of his career, having last started on August 13. He has a sparkling 0.85 WHIP with 220 strikeouts in 160 1/3 innings. He has a 2.77 home ERA in 11 starts.
Miami has a 66-63 record and is 31-34 on the road, while Washington is 78-51 and 37-27 at home. The two teams are 5-5 in their last 10 matchups, while the over-under is also 5-5 in those games.
The Marlins have won four in a row and 13 of their last 16 to surge back into playoff contention. They are coming off a 6-2 home win Sunday over the Padres as Giancarlo Stanton hit his 50th home run of the season during a four-run eighth inning. He was 3-for-3 with two runs and a walk in the game. Dee Gordon had two hits and two runs, while Mike Aviles also contributed two hits. Kyle Barraclough earned the win in relief. Washington split a four-game series at home with the Mets, winning the finale 5-4 Sunday night after dropping the opening game of the doubleheader 6-5. In the series finale, Tanner Roark struck out nine and allowed three earned runs over six innings to get the win. Adam Lind hit a two run-homer, while Anthony Rendon was 2-for-3 with a walk plus a run and an RBI. Wilmer Difo added two hits and two runs.
Scherzer has been sensational this year and although Urena is putting together a very solid campaign, this is a good spot for the Nationals as they stay at home. Expect the Marlins to stay hot down the stretch, but Scherzer is going to be too much for them to handle.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: WASHINGTON NATIONALS -220