The 2025 season has gone in opposite directions for the Nationals and Cardinals. Washington, mired in a month-long slump, fired manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo on Sunday. Despite preseason concerns, St. Louis finds itself in the National League playoff picture at 49-43. Can the visitors pull off an upset win tonight at Busch Stadium? Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Wednesday’s battle between the Nationals and Cardinals.
The Cardinals are favorites (-136) over the Nationals, with the over/under set at 7.5 runs. Let’s break down which side has the edge on DraftKings Sportsbook entering tonight’s matchup.
Nationals vs. Cardinals prediction, preview
After a promising start, the Nationals have seen their season spiral. Since June 1st, D.C. has gone 9-24, the worst record in baseball during that time. As bad as things have gotten, there are still a few reasons worth watching Washington. On the mound, MacKenzie Gore has finally lived up to his ace potential. Over 104.1 innings of work, the 26-year-old has recorded a 3.11 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 131 strikeouts. As one of the sport’s most prolific strikeout artists, it’s no surprise that the lefty earned his first career All-Star Game selection.
On paper, tonight’s matchup won’t be easy for Gore. The Cardinals are averaging 4.70 runs per game at home, the league’s tenth-best mark. However, much of that damage has been against right-handed pitching. St. Louis has notched the 11th-lowest OPS (.662) and third-most strikeouts (248) against southpaws. To make matters worse, the Birds have scored just 53 runs in their last 15 outings. In that time, only the Braves (42), Padres (45), Guardians (46) and White Sox (48) have been worse at the plate.
In comparison, the Nationals have the fourth-most runs in baseball over their last 15 games (84). James Wood has been a menace during that stretch, hitting .333 with three homers and 12 RBIs. Co-star CJ Abrams has been terrific as well, slashing .323/.373/.500. They’ll be facing St. Louis starter Andre Pallante tonight. It’s been a decent, albeit unspectacular, 2025 campaign for the righty. Through 17 appearances, he’s accounted for a 4.10 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Not one to fool many batters (6.0 K/9), Pallante will instead try to generate weak contact. It’s worth noting that the fourth-year pro has been better on the road (3.98 ERA) than at home (4.25 ERA).
Nationals vs. Cardinals pick, best bet
Best Bet: Nationals ML (+112)
Despite a few recent hiccups, Gore remains one of the NL’s most dominant arms. The same can’t be said for Pallante, who can look hittable against above-average offenses. With the pitching edge against a struggling Cardinals lineup, the Nationals make sense at plus money.
