The Houston Astros (6-14) travel to face off against the Washington Nationals (8-10) on Friday, April 19th. This game will be played at Nationals Park in Washington and televised on MASN. The Nationals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Astros are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Dodgers. First pitch is set for 6:45 ET.

Astros vs Nationals

Houston closed out their series vs. the Braves with a 5-4 loss. Heading into the game, the Astros were the slight favorite at +115 on the money line. Things started off well for the Astros, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Braves scored in the top of the 2nd.

J.P. France got the start for the Astros and took the loss. He only lasted five innings, giving up two earned runs, and took the loss. The Astros’s offense scored their other three runs in the 5th inning, but it wasn’t enough to pick up the win. Yordan Alvarez and Mauricio Dubon each had a homer, going 2/5.

Houston is currently on a three-game losing streak, as they are just 6-14 this season. In the AL West, they are in 5th place and five games behind the Rangers. So far, they have yet to win a series on the road, going 2-5 for the season.

When favored, Houston has gone 4-11 this season compared to 2-3 as the underdog. At night, they are 4-10, and coming into today’s game, they have an overall series record of 2-3-1.

When the Astros are favored, they are a poor bet on the run line, going just 4-11. They are also 2-5 on the run line on the road, and they have failed to cover the run line in three straight road games.

With an over/under line of 8.5 runs, the Houston Astros have had 16 games this season with higher over/under lines, and their games have averaged 9.8 runs per game. Their over/under record for the season is 8-11, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8.5 runs is 2-2. The under has hit in their last three games, and their games have averaged nine runs per game this season.

Justin Verlander Gets The Start For The Astros

On the mound for the Astros is right-hander Justin Verlander, who is coming off a season in which he made 27 starts and finished with a record of 13-8. Last year, Verlander’s ERA was 3.22, and he made a total of 15 quality starts. In terms of strikeouts, Verlander averaged 7.98 per nine innings and finished the season with a strikeouts-to-walks ratio of 3.2. Overall, Verlander allowed 18 home runs, and his batting average allowed was .223. His WHIP for the season was 1.13, and his FIP was 3.85.

Astros Offense Breakdown

For the Astros, our top hitter today is Yordan Alvarez, who has the 2nd highest home run projection in the league. Jose Altuve has the 3rd highest hits projection in the league, while Alex Bregman has the 8th highest. Yainer Diaz has the 5th highest home run projection in the league.

The Nationals pulled off a big upset to close out their series vs. the Dodgers, picking up a 2-0 win. Washington was the +194 underdog on the money line going into this matchup. Offensively, the Nationals only had four hits but scored two runs. Both of their runs came in the 1st inning.

Jake Irvin put together a good start for the Nationals, going six innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just one walk and struck out six Dodgers batters. Washington’s bullpen closed things out, with Kyle Finnegan picking up the save.

As the Nationals are at home today, they are looking to move above .500, as they currently hold a record of 8-10. In the NL East, they are 4.5 games behind the Braves, which also puts them in 4th place in the division.

So far, the Nationals have been just below average on the road, putting together a record of 6-6. But at home, they are just 2-4. Washington got a series win in their most recent matchup vs. the Dodgers. This season, they are 7-9 as the underdog.

Washington has a -0.8 run differential on the season, but they are 11-7 against the run line. They are 2-4 at home vs. the run line, but 9-3 on the road. As the underdog, they are 10-6 against the run line, while they are 1-1 as the favorite. In their wins, they are +2.4 in run differential, but in losses, they are -3.3.

The Washington Nationals have had a combined run average of 8.1 runs per game this season. Their over/under record is 8-10, and their games have had an average over/under line of 9 runs. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 3-5. Their last two games have gone under the total, and their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs in 27.8% of their games this season.

MacKenzie Gore Gets The Start For The Nationals

MacKenzie Gore has been dominant through his first two starts of the season, as he has picked up wins in both outings. In his last start, he struck out 11 batters over 5 innings, allowing just 1 earned run. He also has a win against the Phillies, where he went 5 2/3 innings and gave up 2 earned runs.

Nationals Offense Breakdown

Our player props model is giving Lane Thomas the best chance to hit a home run for the Nationals today, as his home run projection is 9th best in today’s slate of games. If you’re looking for a Nationals player to have a big day at the plate, we have CJ Abrams as our top projected hitter in terms of total hits. His hits projection is 17th best in today’s slate of games.

Astros vs Nationals Prediction

Our prediction for this Astros vs. Nationals game is to take the over at 8.5 runs. We see the Astros coming out on top with a final score of 6-4. However, with the Astros being -173 on the money line, we see more value in taking the over.

Looking at some potential player props, Justin Verlander is projected to finish with seven strikeouts. As for MacKenzie Gore, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.