The Washington Nationals and Seattle Mariners will finish their two-game series in Seattle on Wednesday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Nationals-Mariners prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The Washington Nationals are the worst team in MLB with a 41-83 record, and an abysmal -211 run differential. Washington has traded away their two stars, Juan Soto and Josh Bell, and is now affording valuable playing time to young players.
Seattle, at 67-56, is second in the AL West, and holding the third and final AL Wild Card spot. The team has gone 6-4 in their last 10, and while the division race is out of the question, a playoff berth is conceivable. Should the team make the playoffs, it would be their first playoff berth since 2001.
Here are the Nationals-Mariners MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Mariners Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (+130)
Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (-156)
Over: 7.5 (-115)
Under: 7.5 (-105)
Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
This is going to be a rough end to the season, and likely a rough next couple of seasons for Washington. Almost all of the 2019 World Series championship team is gone, and what is left is not near the same production levels they enjoyed that season. Anibal Sanchez will take the mound for Washington in this one. The veteran has struggled in his seven starts this season, with a 6.43 ERA and an 0-5 record. Sanchez has not enjoyed the same level of success that he had in the 2019 season when he won a World Series with these Nationals. If there is a silver lining in this season for Sanchez, his expected ERA, based on batted ball quality, is 4.66. There has been a string of bad luck for Sanchez, and hopefully, that can stabilize at some point. Washington’s bullpen is…bad. No way around it. Closer Tanner Rainey, who was enjoying a solid season, is out for the year, leaving a hole in the back of the bullpen. Kyle Finnegan has filled in for Rainey, pitching to a 3.26 ERA with seven saves in his 50 appearances. Carl Edwards is the only full-time reliever with an ERA below 3.00.
Washington’s offense no longer has its two most fearsome components, Juan Soto and Josh Bell. So yeah, there is not much optimism for this lineup. Still, Nelson Cruz is continuing his fight against Father Time. Cruz has 10 home runs and a team-leading 60 RBI, with a .315 on-base percentage. Lane Thomas leads the team with 12 home runs. Rookie catcher Keibert Ruiz leads the team with a .246 batting average. That single sentence perfectly sums up the post-Juan Soto Nationals. Things are not looking up in the nation’s capital.
Why The Mariners Could Cover The Spread
Seattle is sending one of their rookie phenoms, George Kirby, to the mound in this one. Kirby has made 17 starts in 2021, with a 5-3 record and 3.47 ERA in 90.2 innings pitched, striking out 93 batters. Kirby relies on a hard fastball, coupled with his impeccable control. Kirby has walked just 3.4% of batters faced, which ranks in the 99th percentile across the league. The fastball, which averages 95.5 mph, has held batters to a measly .216 batting average, with 57 strikeouts across 171 at-bats. Seattle’s bullpen makes it so that almost any lead is safe. Flame-throwing right-hander Andres Munoz owns a 2.54 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 49.2 innings pitched. Erik Swanson quietly has been one of the best relievers in baseball, with a 0.90 ERA in 42 appearances. Closer Paul Sewald has a 2.30 ERA and 16 saves across his 50 appearances.
Julio Rodriguez and Eugenio Suarez propel this offense. Rodriguez is eyeing the AL Rookie of the Year award, with a .271 batting average, 19 home runs, and 23 stolen bases. Suarez has launched a team-leading 23 home runs, complemented by a .333 on-base percentage.
Final Nationals-Mariners Prediction & Pick
This one should be pretty easy.
Final Nationals-Mariners Prediction & Pick: Mariners -1.5 (-156), over 7.5 (-115)
