Wednesday’s matchup between the Nationals and Marlins is set to get started at 6:40 PM ET from loanDepot Park in Miami. The Nationals are the betting favorite on the money line (-141), while the Marlins’ odds sit at +119. The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs.
BSFL will be televising this NL East matchup, and MacKenzie Gore will be starting for the Nationals, who are 62-76. The Marlins are 51-87 and will have Valente Bellozo on the mound. Miami is currently 5th in the NL East, while the Nationals are 4th.
Nationals Look to Improve Against Marlins Amidst Challenging Season
The Washington Nationals are 62-76 this season and 20 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. They have gone 19-20 in divisional games and 4-3 as the road favorite. Washington is 32-37 at home and 30-39 on the road. They are 50-65 as the underdog this season and 17-23-3 in series. The Nationals are 4-6 over their last 10 games.
Washington’s offense has been below average this season, ranking 21st in runs per game at home and on the road. They are 24th in home runs and ISO. However, they are 11th in batting average and 5th in fewest strikeouts per game. Today, they face the Marlins, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. The Nationals are 18-20 when the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, and 41.3% of their games have had higher over/under lines than that. MacKenzie Gore is 8-11 this season with a 4.45 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. He has seven quality starts in 27 outings and is coming off a win vs. the Yankees.
Marlins Pin Hopes on Bellozo Amid Struggles: Can He Break the Home Run Curse?
Valente Bellozo will get the start for the Marlins today, and he has a 4.32 ERA this season. He has a record of 2-2 and a WHIP of 1.34. Bellozo has allowed at least two homers in each of his last four starts. Overall, he has a 6.21 ERA at home and a 4.1 ERA on the road. Miami is 25-45 at home and 26-42 on the road. They are 47-73 as the underdog and 4-14 when favored. Miami is 51-87 overall, and they trail the Phillies by 31 games in the NL East.
The Marlins offense has been led by Jake Burger and Jesús Sánchez this season. Sánchez is currently on a 3-game hitting streak. Overall, Miami is 29th in scoring at 3.8 runs per game and 22nd in homers. Their team batting average of .241 is below average, and they are 28th in walks. Miami has an over/under record of 75-59, and they are 25-21 when the line is set at 8.5 runs. In games with a line of 8.5 or higher, 18.8% of Miami’s games have had a total set at that number.
Underdog Marlins Predicted to Edge Nationals 6-5 in Thrilling Matchup
Our predictions for this Nationals vs. Marlins matchup have the Marlins coming out on top by a final score of 6-5. Given that they are the underdogs in this one, the Marlins are a great value pick at +119.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Valente Bellozo finishing with six strikeouts, and he is currently projected to finish 14th among starters in terms of total strikeouts. As for MacKenzie Gore, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts as well, and he is currently 20th in our starting pitcher rankings.
