The Washington Nationals had a good stretch of baseball where they went 9-5 in a 14-game stretch. Since then, they’ve dropped three in a row.
Can they snap their skid on Friday when they host the Detroit Tigers visit or are the visitors the better choice for your MLB picks?
Tigers Have Been Competitive
The Detroit Tigers had a rough start to the season but appear to have turned a corner. They were 10-17 at the end of April but are 9-5 in the month of May.
They were shut out 8-0 in their latest outing as the Pittsburgh Pirates muzzled them on Wednesday. However, that’s one of the few times they’ve been handled like that in a while.
The Tigers’ pitching staff has been effective of late. Before giving up eight runs to Pittsburgh, they had allowed just 21 runs in their previous seven contests.
Nats Skidding
The Washington Nationals are just 18-26, which is right about where those who bet online expected them to be. However, they had surprised in the sportsbook for a couple of weeks.
In the first two weeks in May, the Nats went 9-5. They were an underdog on the MLB odds in a number of those games.
They had a good opportunity to keep it going against the struggling Miami Marlins this week but ended up getting swept. The main issue was their offense, which mustered a total of just 10 runs.
For them to get back on track, their offense will need to do more. Their pitching staff is giving them a chance to win games.
Starting Pitchers
Matthew Boyd (2-3, 6.47 ERA) vs Jake Irvin (1-1, 4.11)
Matthew Boyd has been tough to trust from an MLB betting perspective as he has a 6.75 ERA. He’s been rocked in his last three outings, giving up 15 runs in 13 innings of work.
As for Irvin, he’s coming off his worst start of the season. After allowing just one earned run in his first two outings, he gave up six last Sunday to the New York Mets.
Tigers vs Nationals Head-to Head
With this being an interleague matchup, we don’t have a good history of showdowns to work off of. They haven’t met once in the last three seasons.
Tigers vs Nationals Game Information
- Game: Tigers (19-22) vs Nationals (18-26)
- Location: Nationals Park, Washington, DC
- Day/Time: Friday, May 19, 7:05 p.m. ET
- Tigers vs Nationals Live Stream: MLB.tv
Tigers vs Nationals Betting Lines
Over/Under Pick
The Tigers and Nationals both have a starter on the mound that’s coming off a bad outing. Both pitchers have lofty ERA’s and are tough to trust.
That being the case, go over the number in this one.
Pick: Over 8½ (-115)
Moneyline Pick
This game looks ideal for MLB live betting as it’s hard to get a great read pregame.
The Tigers are the better team right now but they’re on the road here and are starting Boyd, who has been terrible over the last few weeks.
As for the Nats, they’re struggling and have a questionable starter here too.
If you have to pick, take a shot with Detroit. Otherwise, watch some of the game and make your decision in-game.
Pick: Tigers -109
