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Back San Diego to Cruise in Washington (Sunday, August 14)

Padres vs. Nationals Odds

Padres Odds -250
Nationals Odds +210
Over/Under 9 (-105/-115)
Time 12:05 pm ET
TV Peacock
Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here.

We have the third and final game of this series with the NL East’s Washington Nationals hosting the NL West’s San Diego Padres. San Diego will look to continue its recent dominance while the Nationals continue to search for answers.

Will the Padres take care of business once again, or can Washington pull off the upset as a large home underdog?

San Diego Padres: Will Snell Stay Hot?

Left-hander Blake Snell is slated to take the mound for San Diego and will look to continue his recent stretch of outstanding pitching. Through 14 starts this season, Snell is 4-6 with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP.

Those surface-level stats do not tell the whole story. This season, Snell boasts a .288 xwOBA, .209 xBA and a .337 xSLG.

We have seen these strong metrics translate into brilliant starts recently. Over his past four outings, Snell is 3-1 with a 1.19 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.

While Snell has only pitched against the Nationals twice in his career, he is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Snell should get plenty of run support as the Padres are slated to go against right-hander Paolo Espino.

Since July 1, the Padres rank ninth in the league in BA, seventh in SLG, ninth in OPS and ninth in wOBA.

Washington Nationals: How Will Nationals Slow Down Padres?

Paolo Espino is slated to take the mound for Washington. Through 31 appearances this season, Espino is 0-4 with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.

Espino’s metrics suggest further regression is looming. This season, Espino possesses a .341 xwOBA, .273 xBA and a .486 xSLG.

Over his past five starts, Espino is 0-2 with a 5.48 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP.

In his one career relief appearance against San Diego, Espino allowed three runs on four hits over 2 1/3 innings. Following Espino is one of the league’s worst bullpens.

Since July 1, the Nationals’ relief pitching ranks just 21st in the league in ERA, 16th in WHIP, 19th in BA, 21st in SLG and 19th in wOBA. Additionally, this pitching staff should not get much run support as the offense has to face left-hander Blake Snell.

When facing left-handed pitchers, the Nationals rank just 19th in the league in SLG, 19th in OPS, 19th in wOBA and 29th in hard-hit percentage.

Padres-Nationals Pick

This is one of those plays where you need to shower afterwards regardless of whether it hits. There is no denying that taking the Padres runline is greasy, chalky and square.

That being said, it is the best bet to make in this game. San Diego possesses the better starting pitcher and lineup.

The Padres are looking to establish themselves as one of the best teams in baseball, while the Nationals look like they are attempting to lock in the number one pick in next year’s draft.

pick: San Diego Padres -1.5 (-155) | Play up to (-170)

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