The Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics meet Saturday in MLB action at Oakland Coliseum. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Nationals vs Athletics prediction.
Nationals Betting Preview
The Nationals are 5-8 on the season after losses to the Giants and Phillies. The Nationals have scored 7 runs in their last 3 games and 3 or fewer runs in 5 of their last 7 games. The Nationals are 1-5 this season when scoring 3 or fewer runs. Jesse Winker leads the Nationals with 13 hits and 3 RBI, while Luis Garcia Jr. and CJ Abrams have combined for 22 hits and 12 RBI. MacKenzie Gore gets the ball for the Nationals, and he is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA and 12 strikeouts this season. This will be Gore’s first career game against the Athletics.
Athletics Betting Preview
The Athletics have won 5 of their last 6 games after wins over the Tigers and Rangers. The Athletics have scored 5 runs in their last 3 games and 3 or fewer runs in 4 of their last 8 games. The Athletics are 2-5 this season when scoring 3 or fewer runs. JJ Bleday leads the Athletics with 13 hits and 5 RBI, while Zack Gelof and JD Davis have combined for 21 hits and 7 RBI. Joe Boyle gets the ball for the Athletics, and he is 1-1 with a 8.22 ERA and 10 strikeouts this season. This will be Boyle’s first career game against the Nationals.
Oakland Athletics Team Facts
- The Athletics have lost each of their last nine day games against NL East opponents.
- The Athletics have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven day games against NL East opponents following a win.
- The Athletics have led after 3 innings in each of their last four Saturday games as underdogs.
- The Athletics have led after 7 innings in each of their last five day games against NL East opponents that held a losing record.
Washington Nationals Team Facts
- The Nationals have lost each of their last five games as road favorites against American League opponents.
- The Nationals have covered the run line in each of their last eight games against AL West opponents following a road loss.
- The Nationals have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last five games as road favorites against American League opponents.
- The Nationals have lost the first inning in each of their last three Saturday games as road favorites against American League opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Nationals’ last three games.
Nationals vs Athletics prediction
I’m not excited to get behind either the Nationals or Athletics, and Gore and Boyle aren’t off to great starts this season. However, the Nationals being favored in their current form is a no-go for me. The A’s are playing the better ball over the last week, and it doesn’t hurt getting them at home, even if they don’t have much of a home field advantage. Both teams are rough to say the least but the A’s have won 5 of their last 6 games. Give me the home dog.