The Washington Nationals host the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, April 3. First pitch from Nationals Park is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on NATS.
The Dodgers are favored by -267 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Nationals are +214 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 9 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Dodgers vs Nationals prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Washington Nationals Prediction, Picks
- Dodgers vs Nationals Pick: Dodgers Team Total Over 5.5 (-120)
My Dodgers vs Nationals best bet is Los Angeles over 5.5 runs in this game. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Dodgers vs Nationals Odds, Betting Line, Over/Under
| Dodgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -166 | 9.5 -112o / -108u | -290 |
| Nationals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 +138 | 9.5 -112o / -108u | +235 |
- Dodgers vs Nationals Run Line: Dodgers -1.5 (-166), Nationals +1.5 (+138)
- Dodgers vs Nationals Over/Under: 9.5
- Dodgers vs Nationals Moneyline: Dodgers ML -290, Nationals ML +235
Dodgers vs Nationals Projected Pitchers
| RHP Emmet Sheehan (LAD) | Stat | RHP Miles Mikolas (WAS) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-0 | W-L | 0-1 |
| 0.0 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | -0.1 |
| 10.80 / 6.00 | ERA / xERA | 7.20 / 2.76 |
| 5.27 / 3.12 | FIP / xFIP | 5.97 / 6.28 |
| 2.10 | WHIP | 1.80 |
| 25.0 | K-BB% | 4.0 |
| 0.0 | GB% | 33.3 |
| 89 | Stuff+ | 93 |
| 109 | Location+ | 126 |
Dodgers vs Nationals MLB Betting Preview
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers just lost two of three against the Guardians in a series where their bats went cold, as Guardians starters Parker Messick and Gavin Williams were able to turn in dominant outings.
In an attempt to get back on track, the back-to-back defending World Series champions will send out promising righty Emmet Sheehan, who struggled in his season debut by allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
But don't overreact to a poor outing, as Sheehan came into the year with a lot of hype. The 26-year-old hurler was terrific last season, putting up a 2.82 ERA (3.12 SIERA) and 0.97 WHIP with a 30.6% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate.
Facing the Nationals, a team that projects to be one of the worst in baseball, it could be a spot where Sheehan rebounds.
Washington Nationals
The Nationals just lost two of three in a road series against the Phillies in a series that could've easily been won, blowing a 5-1 lead in the rubber match of the series, losing 6-5 in extra innings.
Washington is sending out righty Miles Mikolas for this game, who is a veteran innings-eater who is useful to a rebuilding team. He will definitely be a pitcher that we target all year long.
The former Cardinal struggled in his Nationals' debut, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings.
This isn't surprising, as Mikolas put up an underwhelming 4.84 ERA (5.48 SIERA) and 1.32 WHIP with a 14.9% strikeout rate and 12.7% barrel rate last year. That's bad news against a star-studded lineup like the Dodgers.
Dodgers vs Nationals MLB Pick, Best Bet
The obvious choice here would be the Dodgers on the run line, but I get the sense that Sheehan will need some time to round into form, since it's so early in the year.
We often see that with pitchers as they ramp up in late March and early April. With that in mind, we're going to zero in on the Dodgers against Mikolas and a weak Nationals bullpen.
After a series where the Dodgers couldn't get anything much going on offense against the Guardians, this is the ideal spot for the bats to wake up, which is why we're going with the over on the Dodgers team total here.
In addition to Mikolas, I want to target the Nationals' bullpen. Washington's relievers have combined for a 5.60 xFIP so far, which ranks 29th in MLB.
Pick: Dodgers Team Total Over 5.5 (-120)
