When you have a season that stretches over the course of several months and 162 games, as it does in the MLB, it is often tough to know when to start talking seriously about the playoff picture. I would suggest that when the trade deadline passes and all the major moves have been made, the postseason talk should begin in earnest. We have some fantastic races going on at the moment, many of which looked certain to go all the way down to the wire. One of the best races going at the moment is in the National League, where the battle for the two coveted Wild card spots is about as tight as it gets.
The teams involved in that race know that the wins and losses they compile from this point forward incredibly important, with a single losing streak potentially enough to kill any shot at a postseason place. That makes this series between the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants a huge one. Washington comes into this one favored by 1 ½, with the run total set at 8 ½.
Nationals vs Giants MLB Betting Lines & Expert Analysis
- When: Tuesday, August 6 at 9:45 PM EST
- Where: At&T Park, San Francisco
- Starting Pitchers: Sanchez vs. Menez
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Radio: KNBR 680
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Odds: Washington Nationals -115 (Total 8.5)
Phillies vs Diamondbacks MLB Odds, Game Info & Pick
Weather Forecast
- Mostly Sunny: 18°C/64°F
- Humidity: 73%
- Precipitation: 4%
- Cloud Cover: 20%
- Wind: 19 mph W
- Stadium Type: Open
Why bet on the Washington Nationals?
While the Washington Nationals are currently in possession of one of the two Wild Card spots in the National League, you can bet that they have not given up on winning the NL East. As it stands right now, they are 5 games off the pace being set by the Atlanta Braves, a lead that is not totally insurmountable.
The Nationals dug themselves out of a big hole to get back into this thing, but their solid run of form over the last month or so seems to be catching up to them, as they are now just 4-6 in their last 10 games. They are, though, coming off a very good 4-0 win over the Giants in the opening game of this series to move to 28-28 on the road. They now lead the season series versus the Giants 3-2. They will have Anibal Sanchez (6-6, 3.80 ERA) as the starter here.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.00
- Hits: 8.68
- Walks: 3.49
- Strike Outs: 8.24
Defense
- Runs: 4.67
- Hits: 8.43
- Walks: 3.22
- Strike Outs: 9.45
Why bet on the San Francisco Giants?
Over the past month or so, the Giants went on a tear that saw them move up to second in the NL West and into the playoff hunt. It was a run that was always going to be difficult to sustain, which has very much proven to be the case, with San Francisco slipping to 4-6 in the last 10.
That run has dropped them to 3 ½ games out of the pace being set by the two teams in the Wild Card spots, but with the Washington nationals being one of those teams, this is a chance for the Giants to start climbing again. Things got off to a bad start after being shut out in the opener versus the Nats and failing to score in the process. The Giants remain below .500 at home at 25-29 and will have Connor Menez (0-0, 3.60 ERA) on the mound.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.32
- Hits: 8.16
- Walks: 3.05
- Strike Outs: 8.78
- Runs: 4.81
- Hits: 8.82
- Walks: 3.07
- Strike Outs: 8.64
2019 MLB Postseason Betting Predictions After the Trade Deadline
Nationals vs Giants MLB Betting Trends
- Nationals are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games against San Francisco
- The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Washington’s last 14 games on the road
- Giants are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of San Francisco’s last 12 games when playing at home against Washington
- Nationals are 3-1 against SAN FRANCISCO this season
- Sanchez is 4-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.11 and a WHIP of 0.994
- 2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Nationals vs Giants
This is a series that both of these teams really need, so much of the pressure is on the Giants after losing the opener. I think that the Nationals have the better of the pitching match-up here, which is why I am on them to win.
Score: Washington Nationals 4 – San Francisco Giants 2
