To cap off Saturday’s 15-game MLB slate, the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Washington Nationals in the final contest of the night. Do the young Nats have a chance, or will the league-best Dodgers get the better of them again tonight?
Here’s a Dodgers vs. Nationals prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for tonight’s late-slate nightcap.
Dodgers vs. Nationals prediction, preview
Los Angeles Dodgers
This star-studded lineup needs no introduction. The NL-leading Los Angeles Dodgers hold a 47-30 record this season with a 29-13 record at home. They’re 7-3 over the last 10 games, so momentum remains on the reigning champs’ side, too.
The Dodgers absolutely dominate on a nightly basis with their bats, sitting first in AVG, OPS and runs this season. Their 117 home runs also rank second, just one dinger behind the Yankees in the category. Notably, they’ve drawn the second-most walks of any team, too. Last night, the team totaled nine hits with Andy Pages, Enrique Hernandez and Miguel Rojas all logging two hits. Of course, Shohei Ohtani also reached base three times with a hit and two walks. They’ll likely give the Nats fits tonight.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals are 31-45 this season and sit fourth in the NL East, but there’s clearly some direction for a largely young team as they build toward the future. They’re an MLB-worst 1-9 across their last 10 games though, so there’s work to be done as they attempt to get back on the right foot and work toward the establishment of a winning culture and development of talent.
Washington sits 22nd in AVG and OPS on the campaign and 20th in runs scored, so there’s a framework for a successful offense in there somewhere. The team did tally nine hits yesterday with multi-hit efforts from CJ Abrams and Amed Rosario, and while it ultimately wasn’t enough, they did score five runs to the Dodgers’ six in a near-upset. Competitive games are the goal rather than outright wins, but it’d be nice to steal one against the NL’s best team tonight.
Dodgers vs. Nationals pick, best bet
Unsurprisingly, the Dodgers are today’s strongest favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook with -271 odds on the Moneyline. The Nationals hold +215 odds of upsetting the defending World Series champions with a run total of 9.5.
Dustin May draws the starting nod for Los Angeles tonight. After missing the entirety of the 2024 season, he’s thrown 72.2 innings for the Dodgers this season with a 4.46 ERA and 1.33 WHIP alongside 67 strikeouts. The right-hander faces off against Jake Irvin, another righty with a 4.23 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 89.1 innings for the Nationals. Irvin doesn’t have much strikeout potential though, tallying just 59 on the year so far.
The Nationals put up a fight last night, but I don’t think they manage to do so again despite Irvin’s respectable numbers. Los Angeles remains one of the MLB’s top contenders for a reason, and while Washington is a feisty squad, they’re far outmatched against the league’s best offense. I fully expect the Dodgers to blow the Nationals out tonight, so L.A. -1.5 looks like a smash pick in my opinion.
Best bet: LA Dodgers -1.5 (-132)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
