With first pitch scheduled for 6:45 p.m. ET, the Colorado Rockies will take on the Washington Nationals. This is the first of a four-game series between these two sides and the second series they have played this season. Ryan Feltner and Cade Cavalli will take the ball for their respective squads Monday night.
Looking at the odds, the Nationals enter as 1.5-run home favorites with -187 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Rockies are +173 underdogs, with the game total set at O/U eight runs.
Rockies at Nationals prediction, preview
The Colorado Rockies have slipped to a 50-80 record this season and retaken their place as MLB’s worst record. They enter this matchup on a six-game losing streak after back-to-back series sweeps at the hands of the Dodgers and Guardians. On the season overall, the Rockies have gone 68-62 to the run line, and the run total is 62-65-3 to the over/under.
Ryan Feltner will be making his 20th start of the season for the Rockies on Monday. The 29-year-old righty enters with a 5-7 record, a 5.97 ERA, a 1.53 WHIP, 19 home runs allowed, and 64 strikeouts tallied across 92 innings. He was lit up for seven earned runs in his previous start against the Dodgers, saddled with a 9.10 ERA across his past six outings. Feltner has only faced this Nationals’ lineup in six at-bats and has not allowed a hit in these opportunities.
Colorado is slashing a collective .252/.322/.416 with a .738 OPS on the season. They rank seventh in hits, seventh in total runs, and 18th in home runs, while tallying the ninth-most strikeouts in the league. TJ Rumfield leads the team with 128 hits, along with 13 home runs and 60 RBIs. Jake McCarthy adds 122 hits of his own, along with 13 home runs and 68 RBIs. Willi Castro is the lone other active player to eclipse 100 hits with 105, along with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs. Mickey Moniak, Troy Johnston, and Ezequiel Tovar also play key roles.
The Washington Nationals showed some signs of promise at the start of the year, but still elected to be sellers at the deadline. They enter this matchup with a 61-71 record, slotting them in fourth place in the National League East. Washington is looking to snap a four-game losing streak, and they have dropped eight of their past nine games. On the season, the Nationals have gone 75-57 to the run line, and the run total is 67-58-8 to the over/under.
Cade Cavalli will make his 28th start of the year for the Nationals. The right-hander enters with an 11-5 record, a 3.22 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, 15 home runs allowed, and 162 strikeouts across 142.2 innings. He is coming off back-to-back scoreless starts across 14 combined innings against the Cubs and Rangers, posting a 1.66 ERA across his past six outings. Cavalli has faced off with this Rockies lineup in 23 at-bats, allowing four hits and five strikeouts across these opportunities.
The Nationals offense is slashing .248/.324/.430 with a .754 OPS in 2026. It ranks sixth in MLB in hits, second in runs, first in home runs, and 14th in strikeouts. CJ Abrams leads the team with 131 hits, along with 29 home runs and 91 RBIs. Daylen Lile adds 121 hits of his own with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs. James Wood is a typical staple in the Washington lineup, but is currently sidelined with an injury. Jacob Young, Keibert Ruiz and Dylan Crews each play notable roles.
Rockies at Nationals pick, best bet
The Washington Nationals have shown a legitimate spark for stretches this season, and it is a bit disappointing that the organization largely punted at the deadline. But they will be facing a Rockies team that hasn’t had a consistent, positive stretch all season. Colorado has lost six straight games entering this matchup and was outscored 44-21 across that stretch.
Expect the pitching matchup to play heavily in the Nationals’ favor, as well. Cade Cavalli is in the midst of an impressive season in which he has consistently put the Nationals in a position to win. Washington has won six of the last seven games that Cavalli has started, including three straight heading into Monday. He enters on a strong run of form and has had success in past meetings with the Rockies.
In contrast, there has been little optimism surrounding the performance of Ryan Feltner this season. He is posting a 5.97 ERA overall this season and a 9.10 ERA across his past six games. Feltner has allowed at least two earned runs in eight consecutive outings, including four or more runs in five of these matchups.
Expect the Nationals to look like the better team on both sides of the matchup. Washington has struggled a bit at the plate of late, but this is a perfect opportunity to get back on track against Colorado’s beleaguered pitching staff. Count on the Nationals to pile up runs and cruise to a comfortable victory Monday night.
Best bet: Washington Nationals -1.5 (+109)
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