Houston Astros (7-14) vs. Washington Nationals (8-11)
April 20, 2024 4:05 pm EDT
The Line: Washington Nationals +159 / Houston Astros -189; Over/Under: +8.5
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article we will formulate a Nationals vs Astros prediction for this MLB game on Saturday, April 20th at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Let’s take a look at the prediction for game two in this series.
Nationals Preview
The Washington Nationals are 8-11 this season and they have alternated wins and losses over their last seven games. Washington dropped game one in this series, but they did win two out of three against the Dodgers in the series prior. The Washington pitching staff has a 4.42 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP, and a .277 opponent batting average. The Nationals offense has scored 69 runs with a .232 batting average and a .306 on base percentage. CJ Abrams is batting .292 with five home runs and 11 RBI’s for the Nationals. The projected starting pitcher for Washington is Trevor Williams, who is 2-0 with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP over 15.2 innings pitched this season.
Astros Preview
The Houston Astros are 7-14 this year and they have lost three of their last four games. Houston won game one in this series by a score of 5-3 on Friday night, but they were swept by Atlanta in three games in the previous series. The Houston pitching staff has a 5.13 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP, and a .263 opponent batting average. The Astros offense has scored 92 runs with a .272 batting average and a .342 on base percentage. Jose Altuve is batting .376 with five home runs and seven RBI’s for the Astros. The projected starting pitcher for Houston is Ronel Blanco, who is 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP over 21.0 innings pitched this year.
Washington Nationals Team Facts
- The Nationals have won each of their last five day games against American League opponents following a loss.
- The Nationals have covered the run line 12 of their last 13 day games against American League opponents that held a losing record.
- The Nationals have won the first inning in each of their last three Saturday games as home underdogs against American League opponents.
- The Nationals have trailed after 7 innings in each of their last seven games as underdogs against American League opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Nationals’ last five games against American League opponents.
Houston Astros Team Facts
- The Astros have won each of their last 10 day games against NL East opponents following a win.
- The Astros have covered the run line in each of their last nine day games against National League opponents.
- The Astros have led after 7 innings in each of their last nine day games against National League opponents.
- The Astros have led after 5 innings in each of their last 10 day games against National League opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Astros’ last four day games.
Nationals vs Astros Prediction
Houston comes into this game after snapping their three game losing streak on Friday night, but they have struggled to string wins together so far this season. The Astros are just 7-14 on the year and they have one of the worst team ERA’s in the MLB. Houston will turn to Ronel Blanco, who has been great this season. Blanco has allowed two earned runs and six hits over 21.0 innings pitched in three starts. Washington does have one more win than the Astros so far this year, but they are only 2-5 at home and their offense is nowhere near Houston’s. The Nationals are starting Trevor Williams, who has allowed six earned runs and 12 hits over 15.2 innings pitched in three starts. I know Williams has been decent so far this year, but he hasn’t faced great competition and I don’t trust him. Take the Astros -1.5 here.
