The Washington Nationals (14-15) travel to face off against the Texas Rangers (16-14) on Wednesday, May 1st. This game will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington and televised on BSSW. The Rangers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rangers. First pitch is set for 8:05 ET.
Nationals vs Rangers
Thanks to a three-run 8th inning for the Rangers’ offense, they cruised to a 7-1 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Rangers were favored at -166 on the money line.
Jon Gray pitched well for the Rangers in this one, going eight innings and giving up just one run on three hits. He finished the game with three strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk. MacKenzie Gore struggled on the mound for the Nationals, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work.
Texas got off to a fast start in this one, scoring two runs in the first and adding three more in the 2nd. On the other side, the Nationals didn’t get on the board until the 4th inning and could only muster one run. Heading into the game, the Rangers had the 5th best offense in the league while the Nationals ranked 27th.
Washington’s overall record is 14-15 heading into today’s road matchup vs. the Rangers. The Nationals are 5.5 games behind the Braves for the NL East lead. So far, they have been good vs. other NL East teams, going 5-2 in the division.
The Nationals dropped the first game of this series vs. the Rangers after winning the final four games of their series vs. the Marlins. At home, the Nationals are just 4-8 this year, but they have been much better on the road at 10-7. As the underdog, Washington is 13-14 this year and 1-1 as the favorite. Looking at their overall series record, the Nationals are 4-5 and have won two straight series on the road.
The Nationals have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 18-11 overall. They have been particularly good on the road, going 13-4 on the run line. They have been a better bet as an underdog, going 17-10 on the run line in those games. Their average run differential is -0.4 runs per game, but they have been outscored by an average of 1.6 runs per game at home.
Washington’s over/under record is 13-15, and the average over/under line in their games is 9 runs. Their over/under record when the line is set at 9 runs is 0-1, and their over streak is at four games. The combined run average in Nationals games is 8.5 runs, and the over/under line for today’s game against the Rangers is set at 9 runs.
Trevor Williams Gets The Start For The Nationals
Trevor Williams and the Nationals are on the road to take on the Rangers. Williams has a no-decision in each of his first 3 starts, and in his last outing, he went 5 innings and gave up 1 earned run on 5 hits.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the better road teams in the league this season, averaging 4.8 runs per game. However, they have struggled at home, averaging just 3 runs per contest. Overall, they are 20th in the league at 4.1 runs per game. The Nationals have been good at avoiding strikeouts this season and are 12th in the league in walks.
CJ Abrams is hitting .295 for the season and has gone 6/26 in his last seven games. He is also on a six-game hitting streak and leads the team with seven homers and 17 RBIs. Nick Senzel is batting just .214 for the season and has gone 5/20 in his last five games, but he has four homers this season.
Texas is 16-14 overall and trail the Mariners by just one game for the AL West lead. The Rangers have won two straight games, taking the final game of their series vs. the Reds and the first game of this series vs. the Nationals. So far, they are 5-8 in divisional games.
At home, the Rangers are 9-8 this year and 7-6 on the road. As the favorite, Texas is 8-7 this year and the same goes for their record as the underdog. Looking at their overall series record, the Rangers are 4-4-1 this year.
When the Rangers win, they do so by an average of 3.6 runs per game, while their average loss is by 3.2 runs. Texas is 14-16 vs. the run line this season, including a 7-10 mark at home. The Rangers have covered the run line in seven of their 10 home wins, while they are 7-6 vs. the run line on the road. Texas is 9-6 vs. the run line as an underdog, compared to 5-10 as a favorite.
When the Rangers play at home, the over/under line is set at 9 runs. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 13-16. In games with an over/under line of 9 runs, the over/under record is 4-6. So far this season, 40% of their games have had lower over/under lines than 9 runs, while 26.7% have had higher lines.
Andrew Heaney Gets The Start For The Rangers
Andrew Heaney will be getting the start for the Rangers at home against the Nationals. Heaney has a loss in each of his first two starts, and in his last outing, he gave up 4 earned runs over 6 innings. Heaney has 13 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched this season.
Rangers Offense Breakdown
Adolis Garcia and Evan Carter have been swinging the bat well of late for the Rangers, with both players going 8/32 in their last nine games, with three homers apiece. Garcia is batting .292 for the season and is 3rd in the league with eight homers. Carter comes into the game with a season-long batting average of just .220.
As a team, the Rangers are 13th in the league in scoring at 4.6 runs per game. They have been a good home run hitting team so far and are batting a collective .250, which is 7th in the league. Texas comes into the game with a team OPS of .725, which is 8th in the league.
Nationals vs Rangers Prediction
Our prediction for this Rangers vs. Nationals matchup is to take the over at 9 runs. We see the Rangers coming out on top by a score of 6-5, giving us a little bit of wiggle room if you would like to take the money line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Andrew Heaney finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for 11th among starters. As for Trevor Williams, we have him finishing with five K’s, which is 17th among starters.
If you are looking for a money line pick, the Rangers are the way to go, and you can find them at -168. As for the Nationals, we don’t see them having a great chance to pick up the win, and you can find them at +141.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 1, 2024 Nationals, Rangers