Break up the Nationals?
Washington has won five of its last seven games, earning a 9-10 record. The NL East upstarts will hope to maintain their success at home this weekend. That means taking care of business against the visiting Giants (7-12). San Francisco will have ace Logan Webb on the mound for Friday’s series opener.
The Giants are favorites (-149) over the Nationals, with the over/under set at 8.5 runs. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Friday’s showdown between San Francisco and Washington on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Giants vs. Nationals prediction, preview
As previously mentioned, it’ll be Webb on the bump this evening. San Francisco’s ace is a bit of a throwback, consistently pushing deep into games. Last season, he was tied with Cristopher Sanchez and Garrett Crochet for an MLB-leading 22 quality starts. Through four outings this season, the right-hander has posted a 5.25 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 21 strikeouts. However, most of the damage came during a lackluster five-inning, six-run performance agains the Yankees on opening night. Webb has allowed three earned runs or fewer in four of his last five meetings with Washington.
Speaking of the Nationals, this group has been carried by their offense. The team is averaging 5.63 runs per game, second in baseball behind only the Dodgers. Few players are swinging a hotter bat than CJ Abrams. Through 18 games, the shortstop has already slugged six home runs while notching a league-leading 1.190 OPS. He’s joined by slugger James Wood, who has jacked five homers of his own. Supporting pieces such as Joey Wiemer (189 wRC+) and Jorbit Vivas (134 wRC+) deserve mention, as well. Washington ranks among the sport’s five best teams in batting average (.262) and slugging percentage (.411).
Toeing the slab for the Nats will be Zach Littell. That’s a familiar name for Giants fans; he spent two years with the franchise (2021-22). It was a career-best campaign for the righty in 2025, split between Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. Through 186.2 innings of work, he posted a 3.81 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. During three appearances for Washington this season he’s accounted for a 4.20 ERA. The 30-year-old isn’t an innings eater, however. He’s tossed exactly five frames in those three outings.
Littell’s two favorite off-speed pitches are the slider (28.7%) and split-finger (18.1%). Against both pitches combined, the Giants have posted a dismal .190 batting average. Granted, it’s fair to wonder if there’s anything this crew could hit at the moment. San Francisco is averaging an MLB-worst 3.05 runs per game. Even against a soft-tosser such as Littell, it’s difficult to have faith in these hitters. Just three players on this roster, Daniel Susac, Willy Adames and Casey Schmitt, have a slugging percentage above .400 this season.
Giants vs. Nationals pick, best bet
Washington’s offense has wreaked havoc across the NL over the past month. With that being said, high-end starters such as Paul Skenes, Brandon Woodruff and Tyler Glasnow have held the Nationals in check. Logan Webb, given his success in this spot, can do the same. On the flip side, San Francisco’s light-hitting offense doesn’t pass the eye test. Most pitchers, including a league-average arm such as Littell, can navigate this Giants lineup.
