Fresh off an explosive series victory over the American League-best Tampa Bay Rays, the Houston Astros look to carry that momentum on the road as they open a three-game set with the Washington Nationals Monday night at Nationals Park.
The Astros (45–47, 3rd AL West) have won eight of their last 12 games, fueled by a scorching first half from MVP frontrunner Yordan Alvarez. With the Midsummer Classic just around the corner, they’ll aim to keep gathering steam against the young and dangerous Nationals (46–45, 4th NL East).
First pitch is at 6:45 p.m. ET. Washington enters as a slight -114 home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Houston is -106 on the moneyline. The game total sits at O/U 10 runs.
Let’s dive into the top Yordan Alvarez prop bet for Monday’s series opener.
Best Yordan Alvarez Prop Bet for Astros vs. Nationals
Best Bet: Yordan Alvarez 4+ Hits + Runs + RBIs (+161)
Yordan Alvarez supplied the fireworks on Independence Day. His second home run of the night came in the bottom of the ninth inning — a walk-off, 424-foot two-run blast to cinch Saturday’s 10–8 win over the Rays. The superstar slugger finished the evening 3-for-4 with six RBIs.
Alvarez, 29, is threatening to become the first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012 — and just the second since humans first walked on the moon. He heads into Monday’s series opener against the Nationals, ranking second in the American League with a .320 batting average, while firmly in the driver’s seat with 29 home runs and 67 RBIs. His 1.066 OPS is tops in the majors.
The lefty designated hitter has a golden opportunity to keep mashing in Monday’s series opener in D.C. At the hitter-friendly Nationals Park, Alvarez will face the unimposing Miles Mikolas. The veteran right-hander, 37, has gotten hammered for a 5.44 ERA (4.80 xERA) and a 1.29 WHIP in 18 appearances (seven starts) in 2026.
Looking under the hood, Mikolas is responsible for a swollen .273 xBA and ranks in the bottom two percent of MLB pitchers in both strikeout rate and whiff rate. He’s also served up 18 home runs this year — 11th-most in the sport — including seven in his last six outings.
It’s a less-than-inspiring run of form heading into a matchup with the game’s most formidable power threat.
