The Washington Nationals (47-56) travel to face off against the St. Louis Cardinals (53-49) on Friday, July 26th. This game will be played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and televised on MASN. Both the Nationals and Cardinals are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 7:15 CT.

Nationals vs. Cardinals Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Nationals (+141)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs

• The Nationals have scored 5 or more runs in 7 of their last 15 games.
• The Nationals have won 4 of their last 7 road games.
• The Nationals have a recent win against the Cardinals, scoring 14 runs on July 6th.
• The Nationals have a balanced record of 5-5 in their last 10 games, showing competitive form.
• The Nationals have a better away win percentage (24-29) compared to the Cardinals’ home win percentage (26-22).

Nationals vs Cardinals

The Cardinals Took The Last Game Of This Series

The Nationals will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Padres with a 3-0 loss. This was especially tough, as they were the slight favorite at +134 on the money line. Washington’s offense really struggled in the loss, as they only had four hits and didn’t score a run. The Nationals also wasted a good outing from starter Patrick Corbin, who took the loss and pitched seven innings, giving up just three runs.

Corbin was sharp early, going three innings without giving up a run, but the Padres got to him for three runs in the 4th. Washington’s defense also let Corbin down, as all three runs were unearned. The Nationals had a chance to get out of the inning with no runs scored, but the Padres’s tied things together with three straight singles.

Washington is looking to end a three-game losing streak as they face the Cardinals today. The Nationals are 47-56 overall and are 17.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. Their series record for the season is 13-18-2, and they were swept by the Padres in their most recent series.

On the run line, the Nationals have a 57-46 record overall and are 48-36 as underdogs. Their games have averaged 8.7 runs per game this season, and their O/U record is 49-50. In games with a 7.5-run total, their O/U record is 12-8.

MacKenzie Gore Gets The Start For The Nationals

Washington is sending left-hander MacKenzie Gore to the mound today vs. the Cardinals. He has made 20 starts this season and has a record of 6-8 with an ERA of 4.20. Gore’s WHIP for the season is 1.46. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in two innings of work. Looking back over his last three outings, Gore has finished with a no-decision in each one. He has allowed at least one homer in each of his last three outings. Gore’s ERA at home is 5.5 compared to 3.98 on the road.

Nationals Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense is averaging just 4.1 runs per game this season, which is the 22nd best mark in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and have the worst team slugging percentage in the MLB. However, the Nationals do have three players with at least 11 homers, including CJ Abrams, who is 14th in the league with 15 homers.

Over his last 10 games, Juan Yepez has gone 14/36 (.389) with two homers and six RBIs. This has helped him move his season average up to .260. CJ Abrams is batting .260 this season and has driven in a team-high 49 runs.

The Cardinals Took The Last Game Of This Series

The Cardinals will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Pirates with a 5-0 loss. St. Louis was actually the slight favorite on the money line going into the game but fell behind big early, as the Pirates scored four times in the second.

Offensively, the Cardinals only had six hits but didn’t score a run. Masyn Winn was the only bright spot, going 2/4 with two singles. The Cardinals started Matthew Liberatore, and he took the loss, going only three innings and giving up five earned runs.

St. Louis is 53-49 overall and six games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They have a 16-16 record in divisional games and lost two of three in their most recent series vs. the Pirates.

Against the run line, the Cardinals have been a better play as underdogs, with a 33-17 record. Their overall run line record is 52-50, with an average run margin of -0.4 runs per game. This season, 75.5% of their games have had over/under lines higher than today’s 7.5, and their over/under record is 47-52.

Sonny Gray Gets The Start For The Cardinals

Sonny Gray will be looking to build off his last outing, where he faced the Braves and picked up the win. In that start, he went seven innings and gave up five earned runs on 10 hits. Looking back over his last four outings, Gray has allowed at least three earned runs in three of them. Gray’s ERA for the season is 3.54, along with a record of 10-6. Out of his 18 starts, Gray has turned in eight quality starts and is averaging 11.05 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, he has given up 12 homers.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

St. Louis’ offense has been a bit below average this season, averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per contest. As a team, the Cardinals are batting .245, which is 11th in the league, and are 19th in home runs. Their team on-base percentage is just 15th in the league.

Right fielder Alec Burleson has been the Cardinals’ top hitter this season, batting .289 with a team-high 18 homers and 60 RBIs. Over his last five games, he has gone 7/21 with a home run and six RBIs. Brendan Donovan has also been a solid run producer this season, batting .266 with nine homers and 48 RBIs.

Nationals vs Cardinals Prediction

Our pick for today’s Nationals vs. Cardinals game is to take the Nationals on the money line at +141. We have the Nationals winning this one by a final score of 5-4.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Sonny Gray finishing with six strikeouts for the Cardinals and MacKenzie Gore with six for the Nationals. Gray is projected to go deeper into the game than Gore, but we still have him finishing with a higher strikeout total.

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.